Confusion
by Stony22
Summary: Steve's been thinking about Tony a lot lately, and he's confused about his feelings for his fellow Avenger. When he pays a visit to Tony, their feelings are revealed and everything seems clear to them. As their relationship progresses, however, things only become more complicated. Set after "The Avengers" movie ending.
1. Chapter 1

_Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off and what are you?_

_The only thing you really fight for is yourself._

_You better stop pretending to be a hero._

Steve couldn't stop replaying the words in his head. Even though he had said them to Tony over a month ago during their stint on the Helicarrier, Steve still felt guilty. Tony had more than proved himself as a hero and a man who cared about the safety of those who inhabit the Earth they call home. The fact that he never apologized to him for those harsh words was eating Steve up inside.

He hadn't seen Tony since the Avengers disbanded after defeating Loki and his Chitauri army, which was almost two months ago. They all went their separate ways, and Steve found himself a little apartment in Brooklyn. It was built years before he was frozen, so it gave him some comfort knowing that some things hadn't changed. Steve bought furniture that resembled what was in style at the time of his "first" life, which helped ease the stress he felt from being thrown into such a technologically advanced world. He even set up a small studio for himself so he could draw again.

Lately, Steve had been drawing almost non-stop. It helped him cope with the pain and loneliness that he felt from the loss of his loved ones and the life he once lived. There was one thing sketching couldn't take his mind off, however, and that was Tony. Whenever Steve would wander off into his thoughts while in his studio, he would draw Tony from memory. When he stopped daydreaming he would look down at his work, shocked that he had sketched a detailed picture of his fellow Avenger. Steve tried to figure out why he thought obsessively about Tony, but no matter how much he thought about it he never could come up with any answers.

_I must be going crazy_… _There is no reason why I should be thinking about Tony like this, or drawing him for that matter. I guess it could be because of how bad I still feel about the things I said… I should just pay a visit to Tony, apologize for all of the terrible things I said to him, and make things right. Maybe then I'll stop thinking about him so much and I can get back to my life… Whatever kind of life this is,_ Steve thought to himself as he got up from his desk and walked over to the phone.

He decided to give Tony a call and see if they could meet up somewhere and talk. It took Steve several minutes to muster up the courage to call the genius, as he was afraid of what his reaction would be.

"Hello?" Tony asked when he picked up the phone, his voice tinged with irritation.

For some reason Steve felt nervous the moment he heard Tony's voice, but wasn't sure why. He felt as if someone sucker-punched him in the stomach, and he was unable to utter a sound.

"I don't have all day here! If you don't say something in the next three seconds I'm hanging up on your ass," the genius hissed, startling Steve enough to get him to respond.

"Uh hey Tony, it's Steve. I was wondering if you and I could get together and catch up. I haven't seen you in a few months, and there are a few things I'd like to talk to you about," the super-soldier responded hesitantly, unsure of what Tony would say.

"Well, well, I didn't expect to hear from you… The one and only Captain America wants to come and pay me a visit… How great is this? Why don't you come over tonight? I've finished repairing the tower and it looks awesome. You can see my incredible design skills. And since my name is no longer plastered on the top you can't say it's ugly now" Tony answered, a mixture of sarcasm and happiness radiating from his voice.

Steve could hear the joy in Tony's voice when he responded, and the thought of seeing the genius happy made the super-soldier's heart rate increase. He put his right hand over his heart, feeling its powerful beat through his chest.

"Yeah, sorry about calling your place ugly before, I didn't mean to insult you. And I'll be over around 6, is that okay?" the super-soldier asked, the words rushing out of his mouth at a quick pace.

"Of course, see you in a bit Steve. Now I need to get back to my work, I'm busy making some improvements on the Mark VII. Hopefully you can break your curfew tonight, scout," the genius quipped, then promptly hung up.

_What is going on with me? I've never had problems talking to Tony before… This just isn't like me,_ Steve thought to himself as he was getting ready to visit Tony.

He put on a royal blue button-up shirt, light brown khakis, and a pair of dark brown dress shoes. Steve took his time getting ready, checking himself out in the mirror as he finished tucking his shirt into his pants. He put on a brand new dark brown leather belt, and tightened it enough so his pants wouldn't fall down. After he finished getting dressed, he walked into his bathroom, dipped his hand into a small jar of pomade and styled his hair.

_I hope I look good enough for him… Wait, what? _Steve thought to himself as he looked at his face in the mirror, which was pristine and perfect as always.

He quickly dismissed the thought, believing that the stress he was under was getting the better of him. Steve grabbed his dark brown bomber jacket from his bedroom closet then went to his living room, where his shiny, chocolate brown motorcycle helmet was sitting on his coffee table. After he was pulled over and ticketed for not wearing a helmet after the Avengers disbanded, Steve immediately went out and bought one. After he fastened the helmet onto his head, he rushed out of his apartment and hopped onto his motorcycle, hoping that the strange thoughts would end once he had his discussion with Tony.

"Hey Cap, how have you been? Come in and sit down. That chair cost me five grand, it's pretty spectacular isn't it? Just be careful and don't break it, I know how heavy you are," Tony quipped with a smirk as he motioned to Steve to sit down..

"Uh, I won't ruin your chair, I'm not _that _heavy Tony…" Steve choked out, feeling as if he had a lump in his throat.

Tony noticed that Steve was uncomfortable, and he called him out on it, as he was curious about the super-soldier's peculiar behavior..

"What's up with you? You're not acting like the confident boy scout that I've come to know!" Tony joked, hoping to help the super-soldier relax.

It worked, and Steve laughed softly, blushing a little as he did so.

"Now seriously, what's wrong?" Tony questioned, a trace of concern lingering in his voice.

"Well, uh, I've been thinking about all of the rude and disrespectful things I said to you on the Helicarrier. You are a hero, Tony, and I never should have said otherwise. You risked your life to save all of us and the citizens of New York City, and that was very admirable. I hope you can forgive me," Steve said with guilt and shame in his voice, and he was unable to meet Tony's gaze.

"Steve, that happened two months ago. It's not a big deal. Thanks for apologizing though, I am pretty amazing, aren't I? No wonder you wanted to apologize! You just couldn't stand living your life without me in it… Anyway, are you hungry? Oh wait, you're always hungry. I ordered shawarma right before you came. It's upstairs in the dining room," Tony rambled as he put his arm around Steve's shoulder and directed him to the elevator.

During dinner, Steve had to force himself to eat. It felt as if he had butterflies in his stomach, and he was too nervous to look Tony in his eyes. He kept thinking about how beautiful Tony's big, brown eyes were and how cute his smile was, and it was starting to make him feel sick.

_Why am I thinking about Tony like this? This doesn't make any sense… Stop thinking about him! It's not your fault that he looks so adorable when he eats. No, wait, he looks disgusting when he eats. There's food everywhere and his mouth is covered in sauce. Why would anyone think that's cute? In this situation it kind of it… Damn, this isn't a war I'm going to win, _Steve thought to himself, feeling frustrated and confused by his inner monologue.

"You okay Steve? I've been talking to you for the past five minutes and you haven't responded at all. I thought you were supposed to be an exemplary guest, what with all your training and all," Tony mumbled, his mouth full of shawarma.

Steve immediately blushed and realized, to his horror, that he had an erection.

_Shit! What am I supposed to do now? I need to get to the bathroom! _the super-soldier thought to himself as he slowly got up from his chair.

"Sorry Tony. I was just thinking about something. Excuse me; I need to use the restroom." Steve said before he hurried out of the room, praying that Tony hadn't noticed his predicament.

While Steve was splashing water on his face in an attempt to calm down, he heard the door open behind him. Tony slowly stepped in with a big grin on his face.

"So you like me, don't you?" the genius asked in a cocky, confident tone.

Unable to deny it now that the evidence was quite visible, Steve sighed and explained himself.

"I guess I do. I've been thinking about you constantly, and I couldn't figure out why. And when I called you to see if we could arrange a time to get together, I felt incredibly nervous and shaky, but I couldn't place my finger on why I felt that way. Now, after seeing you in person for the first time in over two months I guess it just clicked…" Steve spoke in almost a whisper, blushing furiously and avoiding Tony's gaze.

Tony sauntered up to Steve and grabbed him by the waist, pulling him close.

"Tony, I…" Steve started to say, but was cut off when Tony pressed his lips to his.

Steve kissed him back slowly, feeling completely entranced by the way the genius' mouth felt against his. Tony picked up the pace and kissed him passionately and hungrily, and he shoved his tongue in Steve's mouth, eliciting a moan from the larger man.

"Do you have any idea how badly I have wanted this Steve? I've been dreaming about you my whole life, and I gotta tell you I've had a thing for you since I was a kid…" the genius said with a smirk as Steve began to lightly suck on his neck.

Tony reached down to the bottom of the super-soldier's shirt and lifted it up over his head, exposing Steve's chiseled physique.

"God you have such an amazing body Steve," he whispered and felt Steve's ripped abs and firm pecs, gently playing with his nipples.

"Ooh Tony…" Steve moaned loudly, loving the sensation of the genius' hands on his chest.

Forgetting about his super-strength, Steve ripped Tony's shirt in half when he was removing it from the smaller man's body.

"Hey now! You know how much that shirt cost? More than your apartment, I'm sure…" Tony whined, unhappy that his purple designer shirt was in tatters.

Steve ignored the genius' comment and placed his hand on the arc reactor, then bent down and kissed it.

"I love this about you, Tony," Steve murmured as his lips touched the reactor.

The look of awe and appreciation on Steve's face turned the genius on even more, and he quickly got down on his knees in front of the super-soldier. He undid Steve's belt buckle and pulled his pants down, revealing his painfully hard erection.

"Goin' commando, eh Cap? You were planning this all along weren't you?" Tony teased as he traced his right hand around Steve's cock.

"Uh, no… Tony wait. I've never been intimate with anyone before," Steve said shyly, his blush spreading down to his neck.

"You're a virgin? The 'Star Spangled Man With a Plan' has never fucked anyone in his life. I guess from the pretentious air you have about you, it's not all that surprising… Are you ready for this?" Tony asked, his voice taking on a surprisingly patient tone.

"I want to do this. I'm just nervous that I won't be any good…" Steve admitted as he looked down at the sexy playboy looking hungrily at his dick.

"Steve, you have the biggest, most incredible cock I've ever seen… Honestly I'm so worked up just looking at it that I could come at any moment", Tony said, looking up into Steve's eyes seductively.

Before Steve could say anything else, Tony put the head of Steve's cock in his mouth, licking it slowly.

"Tony, your mouth feels so good..." Steve hissed at the new and welcomed sensation to his cock.

Tony then took all of Steve in his mouth, causing Steve to moan loudly. He placed his hand on the back of the genius' head and thrust his hips forward, forcing himself all the way into Tony's mouth.

"I'm getting close" Steve said, gasping for breath as he let go of the genius' head and gripped the edge of the sink.

Tony pulled himself off of Steve's cock and slowly kissed his way up the super-soldier's body until he reached his firm, inviting lips.

"Why did you stop?" Steve questioned, feeling frustrated by the lack of release.

"Because I have something even better in mind… I want you to fuck me, Steve, right here on this countertop," Tony said, desperate need lingering in his voice.

"But won't I hurt you?" Steve asked, worried that his super-strength would do some lasting damage.

"Yeah, a little, but I don't care. You've never had sex, and who better to have your first time with than me!" Tony beamed as he ripped his belt from the loops of his light blue jeans.

Tony took off his pants and hopped up on the marble counter, pulled a bottle of lube from the drawer underneath the countertop and tossed it to Steve.

"Lube up your fingers and put them inside me. It'll get me ready to take all of your huge cock in my ass," Tony directed.

Steve lubed up his fingers and slowly placed one inside of him. Tony moaned as he began to rub his dick, spreading his precome over his fingers. Steve gently placed two more fingers inside of Tony and stroked the inner walls of the genius' ass carefully.

"I'm ready Steve, just fuck me already for God's sake. I can't take this anymore!" Tony begged as he put his hands on Steve's shoulders.

Steve lubed up his dick and slowly pushed inside of Tony's tight asshole. Tony let out a long, drawn out moan as Steve's huge cock stretched out his ass.

"Damn you're huge Steve…" the genius groaned as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"Do you want me to stop? Am I hurting you too much?" Steve asked nervously as he whisked away the stray tear from the genius' face.

"Fuck no I don't want you to stop, you feel incredible… Go faster," Tony demanded, fighting back tears from the pain that Steve's cock was causing him.

Steve began to pound into Tony as fast as he could and stroked the genius' dick in rhythm to his thrusts, hoping it would make the experience more pleasant for the smaller man.

"Oh fuck Steve, keep going. I'm not going to last long…" the genius moaned, trying desperately to hold back his orgasm.

As soon as the words left his lips, his orgasm rumbled through him, causing his body to convulse. Tony tightened around Steve's cock, and he came shortly after, spending himself inside of the. Steve slid out of Tony, pulled his chest close to his and planted a delicate kiss on Tony's lips.

"God, Steve, you're a natural! We'll have to do this more often," Tony beamed as he slid off the counter, walked over to the shower and turned the water on.

"That depends, will you be my boyfriend?" Steve blurted out and he quickly covered his mouth with his hands, shocked by the words that escaped his mouth.

"Hmm. If I say yes do I get more awesome sex?" Tony joked, unsure of what else to say.

"Just forget I said it…" the super-soldier mumbled with a frown as he looked down at his feet.

"But seriously, yes I'll be your boyfriend. I'm willing to try out this whole 'monogamous' thing with you. Why not?" the genius replied with a smirk as he looked deep into the larger man's eyes.

Relieved and excited, Steve grabbed Tony by the waist and pulled him close, kissing him tenderly.

"Now let's get in the shower. I'm ready for round two if you are," Tony said with a devilish grin as he led Steve to the shower.

_This couldn't have ended any better. I love you, Tony, _Steve thought to himself as the hot water rained over he and his new boyfriend's bodies.


	2. Chapter 2

Tony woke up around two in the morning, still feeling groggy and sore from the romp he had with Steve. It was pitch black in the large bedroom, and he was happy to see the super-soldier sprawled out beside him, snoring softly.

_I can't believe we fucked five times…God I feel it. How in the fuck can someone have so much stamina? Jesus he makes me feel like I'm a teenager again, _Tony thought to himself as he stretched out his arms.

After a few minutes of admiring Steve's enticing physique, Tony slowly got up from the bed, taking care not to wake up Steve. He quietly walked to the bathroom and put his light blue jeans back on, which were laying in a crumpled heap next to the sink. After he got dressed, he walked out of the room and took the elevator to his lab so he could continue his work on Mark VII.

After working mindlessly on the Iron Man armor for an hour, he looked up and noticed a photograph of Pepper Potts hanging on the wall next to the door. The genius stopped what he was doing and examined the picture carefully, knowing that there was a reason why he was fixated on the photograph. After a few minutes of observation, he finally put the pieces together.

_Shit. How in the hell did I forget that Pepper's my girlfriend? What the fuck is wrong with me? Steve really scrambled my brain last night… Oh my God, I haven't done anything this awful in at least three months. Well, more like one. Fighting with that old lady at the charity gala last month probably wasn't a good idea, _the genius thought to himself, shocked that he could forget something so important.

Tony ran his hand through his hair and paced back and forth in his lab, trying to sort everything out in his mind.

_Now I have a boyfriend and a girlfriend. Great, just fucking great. Steve's just so goddamn sexy… It's so cute when he's confused about the latest technology, he's an incredible fighter, he has the most delicious body I've ever seen, especially that ass of his… Oh my God I want Steve more than Pepper_, Tony thought to himself, his eyes widening in surprise at his realization.

Tony's sudden revelation startled him, and he began to panic. He didn't want to hurt Pepper; she was his best friend and employee, and they'd been through a lot together throughout the years. She was always there for him when he needed her, and no matter what mistakes Tony made, Pepper would find it in her heart to forgive him. In this case, however, the genius didn't expect her to ever want to speak to him again.

_How am I going to break this to her? I cheated on her, I now have a boyfriend and moved on before I've even ended it. This is going to be a horrible mess… Not only that, but Steve doesn't even know that I'm with (or soon to be was) with Pepper. Should I just hide it from him? Yeah, I think I'll do that. Steve doesn't need to know… _Tony decided, feeling that it was the best option given the circumstances.

Steve woke up at five in the morning, like he always did, and was saddened to see that Tony was no longer sleeping next to him. He was hoping to see his sassy and sexy new boyfriend passed out beside him, enjoying a good night's rest for the first time in what could have been days.

_I wonder why he left the bed… Well I guess I should have expected it, the man hardly allows himself time to rest. Maybe he's in his lab working on repairs to his suit. It sure did take a beating from the Chitauris, _the super-soldier thought to himself as he got out of comfy, king-sized bed and put his clothes back on. 

Steve headed to Tony's lab, thinking about what kind of repairs and improvements the genius could be making on the Iron Man suit when he heard Tony talking to Pepper.

_It's awfully early for Tony to call Pepper. It must be urgent… I hope everything's okay, _Steve thought to himself, worried that something bad had happened.

The look on Tony's face was filled with sadness, and it bothered Steve to see his new lover look that way. While he knew that it wasn't socially acceptable to eavesdrop, he couldn't help himself and listened to their conversation, hoping that everything was okay.

"Pepper, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for all of this to happen, I swear. I know I was wrong, but I couldn't help myself… I mean look at him, he's the epitome of manliness!" the genius said apologetically as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger and closed his eyes.

Pepper cut him off, disappointment laced in her voice, though Tony noticed that she sounded relieved as well, which confused him.

"Listen Tony, I've been planning to break up with you for a while now. You just made this much easier for me," the redhead said, her voice flat and even.

"What do you mean, Pepper?" Tony felt a little hurt by what she said, but he was thankful that she was officially ending things and not him. It would have killed him inside to do it himself; he loved Pepper too much as a friend to be the one to break her heart.

Pepper continued on, waving her hand in the air so Tony knew to shut up and let her finish.

"I've seen the way you look at Steve. You talk about him all the time when we're together, though I don't think you realize it. You've been worried about him and how's he's adapting to the 21st century, yet you wouldn't call him to see because you felt that you would be imposing, and I could feel how nervous you were. Not only that, but I can't deal with the life you live anymore. Worrying about you all the time when you're on the battlefield is just too much. I realized that we are just meant to be best friends, nothing more and nothing less…" Pepper concluded, her voice trailing off as she finished expressing her feelings.

Steve was shocked to hear those words, and he suddenly felt sick to his stomach.

_Oh my goodness they were together. And I messed everything up. I helped him cheat on her and I didn't even know it. Poor Pepper, I can't imagine how hurt she is! _the super-soldier thought to himself, unsure of what to do next.

He waited for Tony to hang up the phone and observed his facial expressions after he finished talking to Pepper. Tony seemed incredibly relieved and was smiling that big toothy grin that the super-soldier had grown accustomed to. Steve hesitated to walk into the room, feeling as if his heart would rip out of his chest because it was beating at such a fast pace. Tony saw him at the door, and a look of fear and terror appeared on his face as the larger man shuffled into the lab.

"You heard everything, didn't you? Shit, this is the last thing I wanted to happen! I'm so sorry Steve, please hear me out, let me explain!" Tony exclaimed, holding back tears as he saw the crushed expression on the super-soldier's face.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were in a relationship with Pepper? You were unfaithful, and I contributed to it! I can't believe that you didn't tell me… I guess I should have seen this coming. Why did I even come here in the first place…" Steve responded, a mixture of anger and hysteria in his voice, and his body was shaking.

Steve turned to walk out of the room and Tony rushed to him and grabbed his left hand, begging him not to leave until he could explain himself.

"No, I can't deal with this right now!" Steve yelled and hurried out of the tower, hopped on his motorcycle and sped off back to his apartment in Brooklyn.

_I can't believe I thought that he cared about me. I guess I was just another notch on his bedpost. I'm such an idiot! I wish I hadn't fallen in love with him… How could I be so naïve? _Steve thought to himself, tears streaming down his cheeks as he rode back to his apartment.

Tony sank down to the floor, stunned and horrified at what had just transpired.

_I've never fucked up this bad in my life. How in the hell am I going to fix this? I don't even know where to start. I know everything will be alright with Pepper, but how am I going to convince Steve that I do care about him and I made a mistake? I don't want to lose him, but I screwed up and I know I don't deserve him… _Tony thought to himself as several tears rolled down his red, warm cheeks.

Tony, feeling disgusted with himself, got up and continued his repairs, trying to take his mind off of Steve running out of his lab and leaving him all alone.


	3. Chapter 3

Steve could barely contain his tears as he ran into his apartment. He slammed the door shut behind him and slid down the door and onto the floor. Safe in the warmth and comfort of his apartment, Steve had a meltdown, becoming a pathetic, sobbing mess. All of the loneliness he felt in his youth came rushing back to him, making him feel as if he reverted back to the weak, small man that he once was. His mind instantly flooded with painful memories of rejection that he had suffered at the hands of his peers before the serum. Even when Steve became a super-soldier and his body matched the kind of man he was inside, he still felt alone. Women only paid attention to him because he was handsome, and men hated him because he was everything that they wanted to be.

_I should have known that Tony was only interested in being intimate with me. He blinded me with his charm and I fell for him… God I love him so much, why did he have to do this to me? _Steve thought to himself, his inner voice laced with suffering and frustration.

Hours later, Steve managed to compose himself and got up off of the floor. He grabbed a tissue from the desk near the door and dried his eyes, which had become puffy and dry from the emotions that flooded out of him. Wondering what to do with himself now, the super-soldier decided to take a hot shower in hope that it would help him take his mind off of the pain from his role in Tony's breakup.

He walked into his bathroom and turned the shower on, heating the water to the maximum temperature it could reach. He stepped in, taking pleasure in the stinging sensation the hot water gave to him as it pounded on his back. The feeling reminded him of last night when he and Tony were fooling around in the shower. Steve had picked Tony up and pinned him against the wall, fucking him until all he could cry out was "Steve." Tony had dug his nails into Steve's back as he clung to him, begging him to thrust harder. Turned on by the memories of the previous evening, Steve stroked his dick, which had become fully erect. He moved slowly at first, but when he thought about Tony moaning and digging into the flesh on his back, Steve picked up the pace. He imagined himself coming inside of the man he loved, feeling his semen dripping out of Tony's ass when he pulled out. "Tony!" Steve cried out as his orgasm raged through him, blowing his load all over the shower walls.

_So much for getting my mind off of Tony… This only made it worse! Tony what have you done to me, I've never been like this before… _Steve sighed and finished bathing, the hot water washing away any remaining evidence of his lust.

Steve grabbed a towel, dried off, then walked to his bedroom. He opened up one of his dresser drawers and pulled out a pair of blue pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt. He put them on and crawled into bed, wishing that Tony was there to cuddle with him. Even though Steve felt ashamed of himself for giving into his desires and playing a role in Tony's breakup, he knew that he didn't want anyone else. He wanted Tony more than anything, and he knew he had to make things right. Steve looked at the clock on his nightstand, the time reading 10:00 pm.

_He'll be awake. I have to get over there and work this out_, the super-soldier thought to himself, knowing that if he didn't confront Tony that he would just continue to sulk like a young teenager who had been broken up with for the first time.

Steve leapt out of bed, put on his brown leather jacket and helmet and rushed out the door. He quickly mounted his motorcycle and took off, making his way over to Tony's tower.

Tony locked himself away from the outside world and worked on the Mark VII for hours. After Steve had left, he changed into a black wife beater and old, ripped up jeans that clung tightly to his slender, muscular legs. His hair was a mess, and grease and oil stained his clothing, arms, and face. Tony was dirty and disheveled, and sweat was dripping from his forehead. He was disgusted with his appearance, but he saw no point in cleaning himself up. Steve wasn't there, and there was no one to impress. He simply felt too depressed to do anything other than work on his Iron Man suit, and when he finished repairing and modifying the suit, he was unsure what to do with himself. Tony couldn't take his mind off of Steve, and the feelings of guilt for his transgressions began to dig deep into his skin.

_Now my suit should be able to handle more damage. And then maybe Steve won't have to worry about me falling out of the sky and almost dying again. The last thing I want is for him to be afraid that I can't handle myself out on the front. Plus I really don't want to see that sad look on Steve's face when something goes wrong; just like the look he gave me last night…Shit, I need to stop thinking about this… What to do now? I guess I could follow some of Fury's orders and build a bot that's supposed to force me to eat and sleep at appropriate hours… Wait, what the hell am I thinking? I would NEVER do something like that. Steve's really fucked me up… I need to do something about this, _Tony concluded, knowing that he had to make things right between he and the man he cared so deeply about.

"Jarvis, what time is it?" Tony asked, hoping that it wasn't too late at night to at least call the super-soldier.

"It is ten at night sir," Jarvis replied in his British accent.

_The Cap probably isn't asleep yet…Hmm. Maybe I should just go over to his apartment and try and convince him to give me another chance. Wait, that would be stupid and completely unexpected. But the shock and surprise of my random appearance could convince him that I'm serious about this. Do I have time to get cleaned up? If I wait too long I might change my mind. I'm quite a mess though… Whatever, fuck it, I'll just go like this. It's the thought that counts, right? _Tony thought to himself, deciding that he may as well give talking to Steve in person a shot.

"Get me the coordinates of Steve's apartment. I am going to pay him a surprise visit," Tony demanded, feeling confident with his decision.

"Are you sure, sir? Do you want me to call Happy so he can take you?" Jarvis asked the genius.

"Yes I'm sure, Jarvis, it came out of my mouth, after all. And no need to call him, I can drive myself. I'll take the Acura NSX Roadster, that baby can move!" Tony exclaimed excitedly, looking forward to taking the luxurious, flashy car out on the road again.

"I started the vehicle up for you Mr. Stark, and I programmed Steve's address into your GPS," the A.I. responded, sounding as if he was excited to help out his creator.

"Thanks, I don't know what I'd do without you!" Tony replied as ran down the stairs, jumped into his expensive ride and sped down the street.

_I wonder what Steve will say. I wonder what I'M going to say. Maybe this was a bad idea… No of course it's not, I thought of it. Everything will be fine! _Tony thought as he drove to Steve's Brooklyn apartment, praying that the super-soldier would be willing to listen to him.

He was so preoccupied by his thoughts that he ran a red light and hit something. It made a loud "THUD" sound as the object rolled up over his car and fell behind his car. Shocked, Tony slammed on the brakes, put the Acura in park and got out. To the side he saw a banged up motorcycle, and it appeared to be an older model.

_Dammit I hit someone. Great just great. Hey that looks a lot like Steve's bike… Wait a second_, the genius thought to himself as he turned around and looked at the body carefully.

Tony ran to the unconscious hunk of flesh that was lying motionless on the street behind the Roadster, and the genius noted that there wasn't too much blood, much to his relief. He knew he didn't kill the man at least. When he reached the limp body, however, he was horrified.

"Oh my God, Steve! I'm so sorry!" Tony exclaimed as he sat down beside Steve's large, muscular frame and brought his unconscious body close to his.


	4. Chapter 4

Steve woke up in a hospital bed, feeling a little sore. He noticed that he had a few little cuts and bruises on his body, but was unsure as to how they got there. His head was pounding, and it felt as if an axe had come down on his head and split it completely open. As he observed his surroundings and slowly regained full consciousness, he remembered the events that had taken place the night before.

_Someone ran me over! What kind of idiot runs a red light? I clearly had the right of way… If I find out who hit me they're not going to be very fond of me…_ the super-soldier thought to himself as he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in anger.

Steve began to feel the rage bubbling up inside of him, and not just because of the accident. Being in the strange, unfamiliar room reminded him of when he awoke from his 70 year slumber, completely lost and confused by his new surroundings. He tried to suppress the memory, but in times of stress it crept back into his conscious mind, driving him into fits of blind rage on more than one occasion.

_I'm not going to run out of this room like I did when I was unfrozen, that was a terrible idea. I guess I'll just wait here for someone to come and see me, _Steve thought to himself, sighed loudly and waited patiently, taking some comfort in the fact that the bruises and cuts were healing quickly.

_I definitely enjoy this perk of the serum. Before I would have been in the hospital for months! If only that asshole didn't run over me… I should have never been here in the first place_, Steve grumbled to himself, wondering who the culprit was.

After several minutes of waiting somberly on the hospital bed, a familiar face stepped into the room. The man was wearing a dark gray dress shirt and black slacks with a black blazer. He looked very professional and put together, which the super-soldier always admired about him.

"Bruce? What are you doing here?" Steve asked as Bruce walked towards him, a look of hesitation appearing on his face.

"I'm observing you to make sure you're okay. You don't have any head injuries, most likely because the serum healed any possible damage you received in the accident," Bruce said, trying to hide his feelings of discomfort, but to no avail.

"Where am I? This doesn't seem like a normal hospital room. There aren't any nurses running around with charts. And I don't hear any other patients around. Am I in a special wing of the hospital?" the super-soldier questioned, unsure as to why not only Bruce was there but why everything was completely still and quiet.

"The reason why it is so unusual is because we are currently located in Tony's tower. He created a private hospital room for himself in the tower in the event that he sustains a severe injury in battle. He can't stand being in a regular hospital; too many nurses and doctors want his autograph and won't let him get any rest I guess," Bruce replied, hoping that Steve wouldn't become uncomfortable with the situation.

"Uh, okay. Thanks for checking up on me Bruce," was all Steve managed to say to the doctor.

_Why am I in Tony's tower? Shouldn't I be at a regular hospital? This doesn't make any sense…_ Steve thought to himself, puzzled by everything that was taking place.

Bruce left the room, and shortly after Tony made an appearance, looking nervous and a little concerned. He was holding a large bouquet of flowers and a box of strawberries, which made the super-soldier feel all the more baffled by the situation at hand.

"Hey Cap, how are you feeling? I brought you some flowers! Though you're basically all healed up and won't be here for much longer. Unless you want to stay for a while, which would be cool with me. We could watch some movies or something. Not that old-school stuff you're used to though; you need to be enlightened in the works of Quentin Tarantino and Michael Bay," Tony rambled on, trying to ease the growing tension in the room.

"How did I end up back at your tower? I don't understand how you managed to get to me before a normal ambulance would… Oh my goodness you're the one who ran me over, aren't you!" Steve exclaimed as his rage got the better of him.

The super-soldier quickly shot up out of the hospital bed and grabbed Tony roughly by the shoulders, catching the smaller man completely off guard. Steve held such a firm grip on Tony that he was sure he was going to leave large bruises. For some reason Steve couldn't find it in himself to ease his hold on Tony; he was far too angry to think clearly, and the idea of causing the genius physical pain made him feel a sadistic pleasure he had never known before.

"S-Steve, you're hurting me! I'm sorry for what I did! I didn't mean to, I swear! I was just…" Tony cried out as the super-soldier took his large, rough hands off of the genius' shoulders and wrapped them around his throat.

"What in the hell is wrong with you? First you lead me on and make me think that you care about me and then you run me over. I don't even know what to think anymore…" Steve said, sadness slowly replacing his anger, causing him to release his grip on the smaller man's throat.

The super-soldier took his eyes off of Tony and walked back toward the hospital bed and sat down, causing the bed to squeak from his weight.

"Steve, please hear me out. Just let me explain myself for once before you jump to conclusions! I'm hurting just as much as you are, not physically of course since I didn't get run over but in the emotional sense" Tony said, struggling to get the words out as he rubbed his right hand over his throat, which was already beginning to bruise.

He walked up to Steve and pulled him towards him. Tony wanted the super-soldier to understand how much he cared about him, and the only way he knew how to really convey the point was to wrap his arms around Steve's hips. Much to the genius' surprise, Steve did not push him away.

"Okay, Tony. Say what you need to say, I'm listening," the super-soldier said as he stared directly into Tony's eyes, making him feel all the more uncomfortable.

Tony could hear the sadness in his voice, and it hurt him to know that he was capable of making Steve feel so low. He knew he had to fix the mistake he made, and he prayed to Steve's God that he could put his feelings into meaningful words.

"I know it was late and you probably won't believe me, but I was driving to your apartment. I was in such a hurry and was so lost in thought that I didn't even notice the light… Steve I just couldn't stand to do what I normally do, which is to ignore a problem until it blows over on its own. I realized that you mean so much to me that I can't treat you like shit like I do everyone else. I fucked up, and I can completely understand if you don't want anything to do with me other than as a teammate when we fight as the Avengers… Fuck I probably deserve it, just like all of the other shitty things that have happened in my life," the genius admitted, feeling more vulnerable than he had since he almost died from palladium poisoning.

Tony started to choke up at that thought, and he desperately fought back tears. He could no longer control his emotions, however, and they ripped through him, turning him into a complete and utter mess. Steve brought Tony closer to his chest lovingly, stroking his dirty, messy hair to soothe him.

"Tony, please don't cry! I can't stand seeing you hurt like this. I forgive you for running me over, I'm healed and everything is okay. I believe you, I really do. The truth it, I was actually driving to your tower, Tony. I couldn't sleep because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I was so determined to set things right and resolve this ugly mess that I didn't even change into decent clothing. I guess you just make me crazy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. You're the only person I want and that isn't going to change. I'm sure of that," Steve declared, hoping that it would get Tony to calm down.

Tony looked up into Steve's eyes, realizing just how deeply the super-soldier cared about him. He saw Steve's tender, gentle expression, and he was so beautiful and awe-inspiring in that moment that Tony couldn't hold back. He grabbed Steve by the back of the head and brought him down for a deep, passionate kiss. Steve kissed back with such force that Tony knew his lips would be swollen and bruised the next day.

"Please don't ever leave, Steve. I need you," Tony whimpered in between kisses, realizing that it was okay to be honest about his feelings towards Steve.

The words turned Steve on, and he grinded his hips into Tony's, eliciting a moan out of the smaller man. Steve picked Tony up and threw him on the bed, ripping off both of their clothes with such need that Tony thought he would come right there. Steve kissed Tony's arc reactor as he worked his way down to his lover's rock hard cock. He buried his nose in Tony's pubic hair, taking in the scent that was purely Tony.

"God Steve, you're killing me here! Just fuck me already, please!" he whined as Steve took his lover's cock in his mouth, sucking him with such power that Tony thought his head would explode.

"No. I-I want you to do me," Steve stuttered out the request, blushing so badly that his whole face and neck turned a bright, beet red color.

"Are you sure, Steve? I'm going to be the first person who's ever been inside of you… Are you positive you want it to be me? I mean if I could do me I totally would, but I don't want to go through with this if you're just doing this to please me," Tony said, his voice laced with uncertainty as he tried to deter Steve from his request.

"Yes. You should know that once my mind's made up, it's made up. You're the only person I ever want inside of me, and I want to know what you feel like…" Steve breathed heavily as he worked his way back up to Tony's face and kissed him, sliding his tongue into the smaller man's mouth.

Tony growled with desire, the noise moving straight to Steve's dick, making him sigh loudly at the thought of Tony pounding his ass.

"Let me grab some lube out of the drawer. I kind of keep it everywhere in the tower," Tony said nonchalantly, acting as if it was normal for everyone to keep bottles of the substance everywhere in their homes.

Steve lay down on the bed on his back, watching Tony squirt some of the liquid onto his fingers. Tony got back onto the bed and stuck a finger slowly inside of Steve. He started to slide the finger in and out of Steve, who was moaning so loudly that Tony quickly shoved two more fingers inside of him, not wanting to wait any longer.

"Oh God, Tony, don't stop…" Steve cried out as he gripped the bed sheets tightly, causing them to rip at the seams.

At that moment Tony took his fingers out of his lover and lubed up his cock, which was so hard that it was beginning to hurt. He pressed the head of his dick to Steve's entrance, asking one more time if it was what Steve wanted. Steve answered with a barely audible "yes," and Tony gently pushed inside of him. Steve hissed as Tony slowly pushed his entire length into his ass. He was being careful with Steve, moving slowly so as not to hurt him.

"Tony, don't hold back… fuck me as hard and fast as you can, I'm begging you!" Steve cried out as the genius hit his prostrate, sending pleasure throughout the super-soldier's entire body.

He gladly took Steve's orders, pulling out quickly and promptly thrusting back into his ass. Knowing he wouldn't last long at this pace, Tony grabbed Steve's cock, pumping him vigorously. Seconds later Steve let out a gasp as he released all over Tony's hand. That sent Tony over the edge, crying out expletives as he came inside of the super-soldier. He stayed still for a little while, shocked at how incredible his orgasm felt. Steve grabbed Tony and planted a rough kiss on his lips as the genius slid out of him, cum oozing out of his ass.

"Goddamn, Steve. That was fucking incredible…" Tony whispered as he moved to lie next to his lover, who was breathing heavily after their intense fuck session.

Steve brought Tony closer to his body, gently caressing his face as the smaller man snuggled up into his firm, perfect chest.

"I promise I'll never leave you Tony, just as long as you never run over me again. Oh and I love the flowers, they're beautiful! How did you know I like magnolias?" Steve asked with appreciation and curiosity as he pointed over at the delicate flowers, which were sitting on a table next to the bed.

"Uh, I just had a hunch. That's all," the genius replied as he shrugged his shoulders.

_Jarvis is so awesome. I don't know how he even managed to figure it out. I'll have to praise him for it later, _Tony thought to himself as a smile crept up on his face.

The two slowly drifted into a deep sleep, Tony still wrapped up in Steve's big, muscular arms.

_Oh good lord what did I just see? _Bruce thought, horrified.

Tony had forgotten to ask Jarvis to turn off the surveillance cameras in his makeshift hospital room, and Bruce saw the whole thing in the room next door on a large monitor that the surveillance feed was connected to.


	5. Chapter 5

"Tony, what the HELL did you do?" Pepper yelled as she came storming into the hospital room in Tony's tower.

Her loud, angry shout woke up Steve and Tony, who were still naked on the bed, covered by a hospital sheet. The genius yawned and stretched, completely unfazed by the redhead's sudden intrusion. Steve, on the other hand, was shocked by her appearance, and he quickly wrapped the sheet around his waist and rushed out of the room, his whole body reddening as he mumbled "sorry" several times.

"Steve's got a pretty nice body, no wonder you went for it. Sorry I walked in on both of you, I guess I never know what to expect when I come over" Pepper said with a smirk, concentrating on Tony, who was still sitting on the bed, completely naked.

"Yeah, and I didn't expect you to barge in here. And I don't have any clothes down here so you're going to have to deal with me being naked. A definite win for you!" Tony joked, trying to calm Pepper down.

"Tony, this isn't a time for jokes… You ran someone over last night, and there were witnesses! Pictures were taken and now the tabloids are all over your ass!" Pepper exclaimed, growing tired of the genius' shenanigans.

"It wasn't just someone, Pepper. It was good ole' Captain America to be exact," Tony responded casually, acting as if it was no big deal.

"Oh, that makes this so much better… Now read this," the redhead mumbled as he slapped a magazine in his hands.

It was a copy of "The National Enquirer," and the tabloid had several pictures of the incident on the front page with the heading: "Tony Stark Drinks and Drives, Hits Motorcyclist!"

"Man I wasn't even drinking… so much bullshit!" the genius exclaimed as he flipped through the article, examining each page of carefully.

After a few minutes of reading over bystander "testimonies" and accusations of his love of scotch playing a factor in the accident, Tony noticed that the author was unsure of the identity of the man he ran over.

Pepper saw his eyes light up, and she knew exactly what he had read from the relieved expression on his face.

"Look, you know they're going to figure out that it's Steve eventually. And when they do, you're screwed," she said bluntly as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Wait, how did you know it was him? Oh wait, never mind I told you… Well what do you propose I do, seeing as you're always chock full of great ideas," Tony replied sarcastically as he hopped off of the hospital table.

"You are holding a press conference tonight at six and you're going to explain everything. I pulled a few strings and had some police officers say they gave you a breathalyzer test and that you passed with flying colors. You're going to need Steve there to prove that you didn't do any damage, however. When news breaks out that you ran over Captain America, the embodiment of everything Americans want to be, your reputation will more than likely be destroyed," Pepper said matter-of-factly, averting her gaze from the genius' naked body.

"Shit… Even though my bad-boy impression is awesome, running over Captain fucking America definitely would make me look bad. No one is envious of a man who's a complete jackass and runs over a beloved hero. Well hopefully the ole' Capsicle agrees to it, otherwise I'm fucked," Tony responded, bringing his right hand up to his chin to stroke his facial hair.

"Good luck Tony. Don't mess this up more than you already have," Pepper said with a wry smile, hoping that she had helped Tony understand just how serious the situation was.

"Me, screw up? Impossible!" Tony joked as he walked over and gave her a kiss on the cheek before she left the room.

_Well I guess I should go talk to Steve… He's probably in the kitchen eating me out of house and home... God I wish I had his metabolism, I'd be an even sexier beast then, _the genius thought to himself as he made his way to the kitchen.

When he walked into the room, the delicious smell of hash browns and eggs filled his nostrils.The super-soldier changed back into the pajamas that he was wearing during the accident, thought they were clean and free of blood and dirt. Tony had them washed for Steve and laid out on the bed so he would be able to find them, and he was glad to see the super-soldier acting cheerful and carefree.

"Wow, you visit my place one time and you already think you can dig into my fridge… What am I going to do with you?" Tony joked, flashing the super-soldier a wide, overly friendly grin.

"Hey, after what you put me through I think I deserve some breakfast. I made you some too, Tony. Dig in!" Steve said with a smirk before taking a bite of eggs, chewing quietly with his mouth closed.

"First you let me fuck you and now you're making me breakfast… why are you so awesome?" Tony said as he made himself a plate, piling it high with hash browns and eggs.

Steve blushed and an even bigger smile appeared on his face. Tony gave him a tender kiss on the cheek and joined him at the table. The super-soldier watched in a mixture of disgust and humor as the genius shoveled food in his mouth, getting pieces of food everywhere with each bite.

"Goodness you're messy… Didn't your mother teach you how to eat properly?" the super-soldier questioned as he patted his boyfriend affectionately on the back.

Tony was preoccupied by the upcoming conference that he didn't realize that Steve was speaking to him.

"Hey, are you okay, Tony? You don't look like you feel well," Steve asked, concerned that the breakfast he made wasn't agreeing with the genius' stomach.

"Yeah, yeah I'm good. Listen, you and I are holding a press conference today," Tony said bluntly, focusing his attention on the large pile of eggs on his plate as he shoved a big forkful in his mouth.

"What are you talking about? I don't understand why we need to do that. We're on leave from the Avengers right now and not much has been going on," Steve stated, staring at the genius as he stuffed his mouth full of hash browns.

Tony, who had brought the "The National Enquirer" with him to the kitchen, got up and walked over to the counter, where he had set it down. After he grabbed the tabloid, he plopped back down in his chair and slid it across the table to Steve. When the super-soldier examined the issue's cover photograph, his jaw dropped in surprise.

_News travels fast these days. This never would have showed up back in my day, _Steve thought to himself as he flipped the page to the article detailing the accident that happened the night before.

"Now I know that they haven't identified you yet, but believe me they will. Absolutely no one is safe from the media, and if they beat me to it in revealing that I ran you over, I'm fucked. No one will want to do business with someone who ran over Captain America while drunk… Though I totally wasn't for the record, I swear. That's why I need you to join me, so they know you're okay and that it was just an accident. I have legal documents saying that I was completely sober at the time, so I have that covered. All I need you to do is look pretty and issue a statement saying that this was no big deal and that everything's all sunshine and flowers," Tony told Steve, trying to assure him that everything would be fine.

"Well I guess I will, seeing as this scandal could get in the way of you saving the world as Iron Man," Steve stated flatly as he skimmed through the article that the genius handed to him.

"Thanks, you sexy stud muffin, you're the best. Oh, and you know what? We should totally fuck on this table right now. You agreeing to help me out has me horny beyond belief… Oh wait I'm like that all the time. Well we should just do it anyway. I want some of your Capsicle," Tony growled lustily, a devilish grin creeping up on his face as he did so.

The mood was completely killed for Steve, and he looked at his new boyfriend intently, all of the joy he had been feeling earlier completely washed away.

"No, I'm really not in the mood. This whole 'I have to be in a press conference because you need to keep your reputation in order,' has really turned me off. You'll just have to wait until I'm in the mood again," Steve responded, turning his attention back to the magazine.

"Dammit…" Tony sighed and they both finished their breakfast, neither of them saying anything to each other for the rest of the day.

"Mr. Stark, were you drunk when you hit the motorcyclist?"

"Where were you going at that time of night?"

"Where did you take the man after you ran him over?"

The questions were being blurted over by over one hundred journalists hungry to get their hands on a juicy story. Tony went up to the podium wearing a brand new Armani suit, looking polished and collected. He was calm and relaxed, confident that he could set things straight and keep his reputation intact.

"I can assure you all that I was not drinking and driving. I have the papers to prove that I was given a breathalyzer and had no alcohol in my system. This is all a big misunderstanding. Now I have a guest for all of you to feast your eyes on…" the genius said, motioning

Steve came up behind him in a brand new, light blue suit that the genius had whipped up for him at the last minute. Tony couldn't stand all of the super-soldier's old dress attire, and he wanted his partner to look attractive during their press release. The expression on Steve's face was neutral and blank, and he approached the podium gracefully. The crowd went silent when they realized that it was Captain America, and they were completely blown away that the Avenger would bother making an appearance at the conference.

_I still don't understand how nobody knew it was me. Maybe the fact that I was wearing pajamas threw them off? _Steve thought to himself, still having a difficult time understanding how no one realized it was him that Tony hit with his Roadster.

"This, media hounds, is who I ran over. Yes, I know you're thinking 'Oh my God he ran over Captain America, what a horrible human being!' Well it was an accident. Captain, care to share your side of the story?" Tony said cockily, flashing a self-assured grin at the sea of gawking journalists.

"Well, Mister Stark was driving to my apartment and I was riding over to Stark tower. I was not paying attention to the road, and neither was he. I contributed to the accident as well, but as you can see I am perfectly fine. Not a scratch on me. Mister Stark should not be criticized for this. Almost all of us have gotten into an accident of one kind or another and he was not intoxicated during the incident. Clearly this was just another collision; no major damage was done and both of us are fine," Steve stated clearly and assertively, looking over at his boyfriend after he finished explaining the situation.

_Wow, he actually LIED. The accident was completely my fault, not his. That's not like Steve… _Tony thought, feeling a mixture of confusion and relief by Steve's words.

"Why were you both driving to each other's places of residence?" One reporter questioned, wondering why the two would want to see each other even though the Avengers were disbanded.

After hearing this question, all of the others began to chant it to the two men on stage, as they realized that the answer would make for a great story.

"Well, you see…" Steve began to say, but he was quickly cut off by Tony, who grabbed the super-soldier and kissed him passionately, the smaller man raising his free hand to flash the audience a peace sign.

"That's why. Now my boyfriend and I have business to attend to elsewhere," Tony said as he flashed the audience a grin and led Steve away by the hand.

_Stark: one. Paparazzi: zero, _the genius thought to himself with a smile as he walked off the stage, still holding the super-soldier's hand.


	6. Chapter 6

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to go out in public again… It's not okay to admit to homosexuality. No one is going to respect an openly gay hero. I don't understand why you had to do that to me," Steve said somberly, still stunned and completely humiliated by the kiss at the press conference.

"It's a new day and age, Cap. There's no need to hide your sexuality anymore. There are of course idiots that still think gays are an abomination and whatnot, but who the fuck cares about them? We're superheroes, and if they talk shit about us, well mostly you because you're America's sweetheart, people will get pissed. Besides, it's really only the old farts who are going to throw their Depends in the air over this," Tony said confidently, forgetting that those old people were men Steve had grown up with.

"All of those 'old people' you're talking about are people the old Captain America of the past, or actually KNEW me on a personal level... They're going to shun me for my homosexuality and you should have thought about that. You know, I really didn't want to be 'outed' like that. I wasn't really ready for the public to know something so personal and intimate, actually I really never wanted the world to know about this. You exposed my sexuality through a public display of affection to top it off! That was something unheard of back in my day, and I'm still not comfortable with it. Not to mention those tabloids are going to blow this whole thing out of proportion… This is an absolute nightmare, Tony. I swear you never think anything through!" Steve yelled out, his voice laced with fear and anxiety.

Tony moved towards Steve, who was sitting on Tony's living room couch with his head in his hands. He sat beside the larger man and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closer. Tony didn't feel any bit of remorse about what he'd done, but he never really thought about how deeply this would affect his lover.

"Steve, everything is going to be just fine. You shouldn't give two shits about what people say about us. It's not important. What's important is the bond we have and the fact that we can be open and proud of it now. Come on, I bet a lot of the people you worked with you so deep in the closet that they needed a torch to find their way out. You know what? I bet what we've done is going to change things for the better. After all, I'm Tony fucking Stark and I've got some influence," Tony whispered in his lover's ear, trying to soothe him to the best of his ability.

Steve pushed Tony away from him, got up from the couch and looked at him with a look of complete and utter despair. He was terrified that his reputation as a war hero and overall likable and admirable man would be tarnished, and he was disgusted with Tony for not being understanding of his perspective on the situation.

"I need some alone time to take all of this in. I'm sure this is going to blow up in our faces, and I need to figure out how I'm going to accept the consequences. There is nothing positive about this situation, Tony, regardless of what you think. Just because you're 'Tony fucking Stark' doesn't really have any bearing in this situation. Sexuality is full of controversy, and it's something that should be kept private. I'm going to bed. Please give me some space and leave me alone tonight," the super-soldier said with a sigh as he lumbered out of the room, not taking his eyes off of the floor.

As soon as Steve left the room, Tony decided that this was the perfect time for a drink. He left the living room, took the elevator up to his own personal bar. He poured a large glass of scotch and threw it back, barely registering its bold, intense flavor. The genius began to pour himself another glass when his phone rang. He looked at the caller I.D., noticing that it was a restricted number. There was only one person it could be, and Tony was dreading answering the phone.

_Fuck… The LAST person I want to hear from right now has to call me. Fantastic… _The genius thought to himself, wondering if he should even bother to answer the phone.

He answered hesitantly and immediately regretted the decision, as the moment he allowed the call to go through the man on the other side of the line began to shout at him.

"Stark, what in the hell were you thinking? I can't believe you! First you run over Rogers and then you decide to use shock and awe to draw attention away from your stupidity. If this is your idea of PR for the Avengers then you're out of your mind!" Fury yelled, and Tony imagined the veins popping out of the spy's neck as he berated him.

"Listen, I really didn't have a choice. Well maybe I could have not made out with Steve in front of everyone and come out of the closet in the process, but I had to keep my reputation somewhat intact after I ran him over. Showing people that I actually care about him will get them off my back. In the long run, this was the best possible decision, whether you or Steve believe it or not," Tony replied in a sassy and cocky tone of voice, tired of listening to the spy already.

"Your logic never ceases to amaze me Stark, and not in a good way. The only positive I can see to this is that people will realize that the superheroes meant to protect them don't discriminate. I'm warning you Stark, if you do anything that destroys Captain America's reputation, I will kick you out of this organization and make sure that no one ever works with you again. I could give a rat's ass about your reputation… Or the lack of a good one. You got that?" Fury growled, driving the point home to the genius.

"Uh yeah, sure Fury. Whatever you say…" Tony responded, rolling his eyes as he did so.

"Don't forget what I said, Stark, and I mean it. Now keep yourself off the radar for a few days until this situation clears up. That's an order!" the spy commanded, then promptly hung up on Tony.

_Awesome. Not only is Steve upset with me, but so is Fury. Just fucking peachy. I guess I'll just work in my lab. Should I go talk to Steve? Maybe initiate some sex? That always works to cheer me up… Wait, I bet the 'Star Spangled Man with a Plan' isn't into make-up sex… He can be such a prude. I guess I'll just leave him alone tonight. No sense in pissing Steve off more than he already is…_ Tony said to himself as he headed to his lab, hoping it would take his mind off of the events of the past few days.

Steve woke up the next day and noticed that Tony never joined him in bed.

_I'm glad he respected my wishes, but I kind of hoped he would have ignored them and come to bed with me after I fell asleep… Oh well. I guess I better go have a talk with him. There's no way I can sweep this under the rug, _Steve thought to himself as he got up out of bed.

After the super-soldier used the bathroom and brushed his teeth, he left the bedroom and headed to Tony's lab. When he opened the door and looked around for the genius, he saw him at his workbench, fast asleep and drooling on a piece of blueprint paper. Steve tip-toed over the genius, carefully picked Tony and took him to the bedroom. He gently lowered the genius onto the bed and covered him with the large, black comforter that was crumpled up on the bed from Steve's restless night's sleep.

"Thanks for everything, Tony. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that you may be right. I guess even if other people aren't accepting, at least I don't have to hide who I am anymore. I love you, Tony," Steve whispered softly as he planted a delicate kiss his lover's forehead.

Steve didn't think that Tony had heard his tender words, but he did. Tony eyes quickly opened and he grabbed Steve by the collar and brought him down for a kiss. Steve stared deeply into Tony's eyes, his eyes wide from the surprise of the unexpected smooch.

"I love you too, Steve. I've wanted to tell you that for so long. Thank God I don't have to keep that to myself. It's been driving me absolutely crazy. Damn you for being so irresistible…" Tony quipped as a soft, loving smile developed on his face.

Steve lay down on the bed next to the smaller man and pulled him on top of him. Unable to control himself, Steve ripped off Tony's gray Led Zeppelin shirt and put his mouth on his lover's neck, gently sucking on the soft flesh.

"Oh Steve that feels amazing…" the genius moaned, bending down to swiftly take Steve's shirt off and expose his delicious, enticing body.

He kissed Steve and shoved his tongue deep into the super-soldier's mouth. After a few minutes, Tony pulled away from Steve, got up off of the bed and quickly removed his pants and underwear, the genius revealing his erect cock nestled in dark brown pubic hair. Steve, filled with need, quickly moved toward Tony, got on his knees and gently licked the head of the smaller man's dick. After a few licks, Steve took all of Tony's cock in his mouth, deep throating him in a way that the genius had never experienced before.

"Oh my fucking God Steve, where did you learn how to do that!?" Tony cried out as he put his hands on the back of the super-soldier's face and pushed him farther onto his cock.

The gagging noises that Steve made were driving him wild, and he knew he would come soon if Steve kept going.

"Steve, stop! I want you to fuck me, NOW!" Tony whined loudly, his voice heavy with lust and desperation.

Steve took Tony's cock out of his mouth, went to the dresser and grabbed a bottle of lube, which was already half empty from the first night they spent together.

"Hurry up, Steve! I'm dying over here…" the genius whimpered, motioning with his arms for Steve to come back over to him.

Steve, hornier than he'd ever been in his life, quickly slicked his dick up with lube, walked over to Tony and picked the genius up by the waist. The super-soldier put him up against the wall, positioned his cock right at the genius' entrance and forcefully rammed himself inside, not bothering to prepare Tony with his fingers. Tony cried out Steve's name as the larger man fucked him roughly, pulling completely out of him then shoving his cock right back inside Tony's ass.

"Jesus, Steve! I'm coming!" Tony yelled out, his orgasm so intense that he thought he'd fall apart at the seams. The muscles in his ass tightened as he came, sending Steve over the edge.

"Tony…" was all Steve was able to say as he released his seed deep inside of Tony, his whole body shaking as he came.

He pulled out slowly and led the smaller man to the bed so they could lie down. The genius scrambled onto Steve's body and straddled him, loving the view of the super-soldier underneath him. He kissed Steve gently and flashed him a big, toothy grin.

"Steve, you could be a porn star. Seriously you're that good. How did you learn how to go down on a guy like that? That was, without a doubt, the best blow-job I've ever gotten in my life. It's absolutely crazy, considering you've never had any practice…" Tony stated, blown away by the super-soldier's superior cock sucking skills.

"I, uh, watched some pornography. I found some on your laptop and was curious. I guess I just picked it up from that, so I guess I can be your personal porn star if you'd like," Steve grinned, cocking up one of his eyebrows.

"You're the best, Steve, you really are. I love you, and don't you ever forget that," Tony said softly, his voice filled with love and affection.

"I love you too, Tony. You're the best thing that ever happened to me," Steve replied, and pulled the genius down for another tender kiss.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Tony and Steve's passionate kiss from the press conference was plastered everywhere, just as Steve anticipated. A juicy story like that wouldn't stay out of the news for very long, especially when it concerned two of America's favorite heroes. The public display of affection was being covered in every facet of media, whether it was in newspapers, magazines, news stations, or morning talk shows. There were some loud cries of outrage and anger towards to the two men, particularly from the Westboro Baptist Church, outspoken televangelists, Mitt Romney and his gang of fundamentalist Republicans. For the most part, however, Steve and Tony received an overwhelming amount of support. Tony was relieved that his assurances to Steve that homosexuality was accepted by the majority of American society were substantiated.

_Damn I can't believe everything worked out perfect for once. I'm so awesome… I should be getting awards for this! _Tony thought to himself, feeling cocky as he watched CNN in the living room.

"I guess you really have no right to be mad at me anymore. Do you have something you want to say to me, Cap?" the genius said with a smirk as Steve came up to him from behind and wrapped his large, muscular arms around the smaller man's shoulders.

"No, not really. Now give me the clicker, I want to watch 'The Colbert Report,'" Steve retorted as he took the remote from Tony's hands and sat down on the couch beside the genius.

"You're forgiven… Now why do you like him so much? Do you have a thing for guys with weird ears or something? Because every time I watch him I get distracted by it…" Tony mumbled to himself, focusing intently on the news anchor's face.

"Shut up, Tony! He's talking about us!" Steve squealed in delight, waving his hands in the air like he just didn't care.

"Fine…" Tony huffed as he laid his head in the super-soldier's lap, resting there comfortably as they spent the rest of the night watching a "Colbert Report" and "Daily Show" marathon.

Several days later, Tony was in the kitchen preparing a snack for himself, as he had been in his lab for almost an entire day and had completely forgotten to eat. As soon as he finished preparing his sandwich and was about to take a bite, he heard a loud squeal emanating from the living room, startling him and causing him to drop his sandwich onto the cold tile floor.

_What in the hell was that? It sounds like a giddy fangirl… I better investigate, _Tony thought to himself as he walked to the living room, completely ignoring the sloppy mess on the floor.

When Tony walked in the room, he saw the super-soldier holding up a letter, grinning wildly as he read its contents. There was a large stack of letters on the coffee table, and several of them had already been opened.

"Steve that was quite possibly the girliest thing I have ever heard in my life. You could do voice-acting for cartoons and play the cute little girl that everyone thinks is precious. Now why do you have all of those letters? Did all of your old war buddies have heart attacks and die or something?" Tony quipped, actively ignoring political-correctness.

"Tony, they're from people all across the country! People are praising us for being open about our sexuality! I can't believe this! Look at this one; a kid named Jeremy sent it to me. He called me Captain Bad-Ass… This is just unreal!" Steve beamed at Tony, looking like a cute and innocent child as he held up the letter in admiration.

After re-reading the letter for the third time, Steve ran over to Tony and embraced him, almost crushing him with his super-strength. Steve kissed Tony several times and looked him deep in his eyes; he was almost in tears, sniffling a little to keep them at bay. Tony thought Steve was going to melt into a sugary, sweet blob on the floor, and it made the genius feel something deep in his heart that he'd never experienced before.

"This is incredible! You were right, people are actually accepting of this… I'm so thankful that I have you. What you did has really made me feel better about everything that has happened to me. I'm actually starting to think that this is the best century ever! Now come and read some of these letters!" Steve cried out with joy, the gratitude in his voice overflowing.

Tony grabbed a few letters and sat down on the couch, and Steve immediately sat down next to him. The letters were very touching, most of them coming from young men and women who were afraid to come out to their friends and family. It touched Tony so much that he began to tear up himself.

_This is one of the best days of my life. I'm not only one of the most popular men on Earth, but I also finally found someone who loves me. I never thought I'd be so happy diving into this whole 'monogamous relationship' deal. Shit worked out pretty damn good… Stark, you're a genius, _Tony thought to himself as he flashed a confident, cocky smile at Steve.

The next day, Tony had to take off for a week-long meeting in Los Angeles to meet with some companies who wanted to become partners in the clean-energy business. After all of the attention Tony had received, corporations were flooding Pepper with calls, trying to get in his good graces and gain some notoriety themselves. Pepper set up a meeting, making sure to check their credentials so Tony wouldn't be walking into a shady situation.

"Tony, this is important! You can't be late for this. The jet will be here to pick you up at 6 in the evening. Pack up your stuff and get ready," Pepper yelled over the phone, trying to get Tony to realize just how important this business meeting was.

"Yes, mother. Don't worry, I'll be on time. But there better be a decent in-flight movie: If I have to watch another film with a cheesy romance story I'm going to shoot myself. You better not disappoint me," Tony joked, dismissing the nagging tone of her voice.

"Okay, Tony, whatever. I really don't have time to deal with you right now, I have to go take care of every other part of Stark Industries. Remember, you have to leave at six tonight," Pepper replied with a sigh before hanging up.

_Dammit… Guess I'll be going without sex for a few days,_ Tony grumbled to himself, unhappy that he had to leave Steve and keep his dick in his pants for an entire week.

Knowing that Steve would miss him terribly, Tony taught the super-soldier how to use Skype so they could communicate and see each other, even if they couldn't physically be together. The two were now living together in the tower, much to Tony's delight. After all of the media hype, they decided that it would be best for them to live in the same place, though Tony was continuing to pay monthly expenses for Steve's Brooklyn apartment in case they ever needed some time apart.

"Jarvis will help you in case you get confused, but I don't think you'll need him. You seem to have a good handle on it. I'm glad you've been taking your internet lessons seriously. You're lucky you have me as a teacher," Tony said teasingly as he planted a soft kiss to the super-soldier's lips.

"Well the fantastic blow-jobs you give me if I pay attention and learn something are quite the incentive… Imagine how great soldiers would be if they all received such great awards," Steve responded with a smirk, as he pulled the genius close to his body.

"Goddamn I'm going to miss you so much. I wish I could smuggle you in my suitcase. Pepper insisted I go alone though, since she thinks you'll be a 'distraction'. She's probably right though, you are far too sexy for me to resist my urges," Tony stated lustily, grabbing Steve forcefully by the neck and pulling him in for a deep, passionate kiss.

"Before you leave, you should probably take a shower. You're covered in grease and oil. While some people may think that dirtiness is sexy and desirable, I am definitely not one of them!" Steve laughed softly as he tousled Tony's thick brown hair, which was matted with sweat and grease.

. "Only if you'll take one with me, I need someone to clean those hard to reach areas…" Tony purred as Steve grabbed him by the hand and led him to the bathroom.

Steve turned on the water and hurried Tony into the shower, slapping him gently on the ass as he got in. The super-soldier grabbed a bottle of shampoo and thoroughly washed Tony's hair, taking his time to massage the foamy lather into the genius' scalp.

"Steeeeeeeve, I thought we were going to have crazy awesome sex! This isn't what I wanted!" Tony whined, his cock half-erect.

Steve, ignoring him, grabbed a pouf and squirted some Old Spice body wash onto it. He began to slowly wash Tony's body, kissing each place he washed. It sent shivers down Tony's spine, and he let out a low, soft moan. Steve got behind Tony and washed his back, moving slowly until he was kneeling down, face-level with the smaller man's ass. He washed Tony's cheeks first, kissing them when he finished washing them. Soon the pouf was in Tony's ass-crack, and the super-soldier was gently washing the genius' asshole.

"Mmm, that feels good Steve…" Tony moaned, and before he could even register what was happening he felt Steve's warm, inviting tongue opening him up.

Steve was moving his tongue in quick, swirling motions, turning Tony into a gasping mess. Tony had his hands planted firmly against the shower wall, ensuring that he wouldn't slip.

"Where did you learn to do that, Steve? Oh wait, it must have been from the porn you've been watching… You are such a natural," Tony moaned as Steve's tongue prodded inside of him.

After a few minutes, Steve got up from his kneeling position and quickly pushed three fingers inside of Tony, catching him completely off guard. The genius let out a loud, prolonged gasp at the sudden intrusion in his entrance.

"You like that, don't you bitch? I'm going to fuck you so hard that you're not going to walk straight for days," Steve growled in Tony's ear, causing the smaller man's dick to harden completely.

_Jesus, I never thought I'd ever hear him talk dirty to me. It's so hot…_ Tony thought as Steve removed his fingers and replaced them with his large, thick cock.

"You like it rough, don't you? Me pushing in and out of you with no lube… You know how to take a cock, don't you slut? I like seeing you spread out for me, letting me do whatever I want to you," Steve hissed as he snapped his hips forward, completely filling the genius up with his length.

"I can't get enough of your dick, Captain… Fuck me harder, please!" Tony groaned loudly, his voice mixed with pain and pleasure as Steve grabbed him by the hair and sank his teeth into the genius' neck.

Steve gladly followed Tony's orders, and soon he was forcing himself in and out of Tony at such a fast pace that Tony could no longer contain himself. Without even being touched once, Tony came; his orgasm was so powerful that he had to press his entire midsection against the shower wall to keep from collapsing onto the floor.

"Oooh Tony, you feel so fucking incredible…I'm going to fill you up with my semen, and you're going to love it," Steve gasped as he came inside of Tony, clutching the smaller man's hips so hard that he knew there would be bruises to remind them of their encounter. He quickly pulled out of Tony and turned his lover around, planting an aggressive kiss on the smaller man's lips.

Tony, clinging to Steve to keep from falling over, was still shocked by not only Steve's dirty talk, but also the fact that he rimmed him. He had only experienced it three times before, and he hated it more than any sexual act. Steve made it enjoyable, however, and the genius was shocked that the super-soldier had so much skill for his non-existent experience.

"Seriously, what got into you? That was so incredibly hot… I don't know how you learned to rim like that, and God you're talented at it," Tony said, his voice sounding shaky as he tried to collect himself.

"I honestly don't know why I did it. I guess I just wanted to really make this count, since I'm not going to see you for a while. You really liked it that much? And did I hurt you too much? I can't imagine me going inside of you without using lubrication was very pleasant," Steve said, feeling a little guilty that he didn't take into consideration Tony's comfort during intercourse.

"Yes, I absolutely loved it. Probably the best sex I've ever had to be honest with you. And Cap, you should know by now that I like you to fuck me like an animal, and you did just that. Sure I'm going to be sore for a while, but I like it that way. It means I have something to think about later. When I get back, maybe we can get a little kinkier…" Tony said suggestively to Steve as he traced his right index finger along the super-soldier's six-pack.

Steve flashed Tony a big grin, and the two stayed in a loving embrace for a while as the hot, cleansing water rained over them.


	8. Chapter 8

Later that evening, Tony and Steve arrived at Stark Industries airport. Tony flew right past all of the metal detectors and check-in points, keeping a firm grip on the super-soldier's hand so he wouldn't get lost. When they reached terminal twenty-two, Steve closely examined the building's design. The terminal had high, glass ceilings and walls, which let in the light from the beautiful, bright blue sky. The floor was a sleek, black marble, and there was a small lounge area on the right side of the room. The chairs were made of soft, expensive leather, and were burgundy, dark gray and black.

_I still don't know how I feel about Tony's taste in decorating… I guess I'll learn to deal with it. This seems to be what's "in" anyway, _Steve sighed heavily as the two approached a tall, thin African American woman with a thick mane of black hair, who was waiting to lead the genius to his flight.

"Do you have everything? Will you call me when you get there?" Steve asked, a mixture of worry and sadness laced as Tony picked up his bags.

"Steve, don't worry, everything will be fine! Yes I have everything, yes I will call you when I get there, and yes I will be safe! You're not my mommy Steve. Last time I checked I can take care of myself," Tony huffed, annoyed by Steve's pestering questions.

"Sorry, Tony. After my accident, I just get nervous about planes from time to time… I just don't want anything to happen to you is all, Tony. The thought of you getting injured in a plane crash is really unsettling," Steve apologized quietly as he looked out the large, glass windows of the building.

"No need to apologize, Cap. I was being a dick; I just hate having to go to all of these stupid meetings when I know I'm not going to want to work with any of these assholes… Now listen, I will let you know when I arrive in Los Angeles, and we'll Skype after my shitty waste-of-time meeting is over. Sound good?" Tony said as he dropped his bags and brought Steve into a loving embrace and kissed him gently.

"Yes, that sounds great. Now board your plane, it's almost 6. I love you," Steve whispered in the genius' ear as he lifted him up off of the ground and twirled him around.

"I love you too, Steve. Don't destroy the tower when I'm gone!" Tony said with a smirk as Steve let him go.

Tony gave Steve one last long, passionate kiss, then followed the thin woman to his plane, waving bye to the super-soldier until he was no longer in sight.

_I miss you already, _Steve thought to himself as he walked out of the terminal, unsure of how he was going to keep himself occupied for a week.

When the super-soldier arrived to the tower, he took a long, hot shower, made himself a bowl of Wheaties and camped out in the living room. He spent the entire day mindlessly watching a marathon of "The Colbert Report" and "The Daily Show with John Stewart," waiting patiently for his boyfriend to call.

Several hours later, Steve fell asleep on the couch, dreaming about nothing in particular when the phone rang. He awoke with a start, and quickly grabbed his cell phone from the coffee table.

"Hello?" Steve asked quietly, his voice still groggy with sleep.

"Let me tell you, Steve, the plane ride was shitty. There was turbulence and I ended up spilling my scotch all over myself, and let me tell you that shit isn't cheap. And they played this train-wreck of a movie called, 'All About Steve'. I have a feeling that Pepper chose it just to mess with my head. I'll have to have a discussion with her about that. And on top of that I didn't get any fantastic sex with you, which of course just makes this whole trip a bust. Eventually I'll have to make you a member of the 'Mile High Club' Cap, that'll make riding an airplane so much better," the genius rambled cheerfully as Steve waited for a chance to speak.

"Well I'm just glad that you made it safe. And what's the 'Mile High Club'? Is it something that I need to apply for?" Steve asked in confusion as he scratched the back of his head, wondering if it was some elite club that only the rich could belong to.

Steve heard an audible smacking noise on the other side of the phone and knew that Tony slapped his hand to his forehead. He imagined that Tony was also rolling his eyes in the process, and he thought of it made the super-soldier smile and let out a small chuckle.

"No, you don't need a membership. I'll just show you what it is next time we're on a plane together. I have a feeling that you'll be begging to do it again and again… And what are you laughing about? The 'Mile High Club' is no laughing matter! I tell you Steve, it's addictive and if you get hooked then we're basically going to have to live on a plane the rest of our lives!" Tony teased as he brought a glass of scotch to his lips, hoping that his boyfriend finally understood what he meant.

"Oh… You mean…" Steve immediately realized that it was a reference to a sexual activity, and he began to blush.

"Yep. You and me. Fucking on a plane. I don't know about you, but it sounds amazing. You'll love it Steve, trust me on that. When I get back we'll go on a trip somewhere and I'll give you a little taste of what it's all about. Do you want that? Tell me," the genius purred seductively as he walked into a conference room on one of the lower floors of The Sheraton Hotel, where several well-dressed businessmen were waiting for him.

"Yes, I'd want you to ride in the airplane bathroom while I hold you up against the wall," the super-soldier moaned as his cock began to harden.

"Well I have to go, my meeting's already started and I'm late. I'd much rather hear your voice than listen to a bunch of idiots who think they have a shot at becoming business partners… Thanks for giving me that imagery, it'll make this meeting a little more tolerable," Tony said loudly, making sure the potential affiliates could hear him clearly.

"Uh, you're welcome?" the super-soldier answered, puzzled as to how sexual thoughts could make a meeting better, as they always distracted him and made him lose focus.

"I'll call you tonight on Skype. Keep that ass in perfect shape, I may just want to see it tonight," Tony replied with a smirk as he looked each businessman in the eyes, causing them to blush and avert their gazes.

"I really don't think anything is going to happen to it… But anyway, you need to get to your meeting! I love you and miss you, and I hope you have a great day. Try to pay at least a little attention; one of them might actually be useful as a partner," Steve lectured half-jokingly as he tugged at his boxers, which had become uncomfortable on his still hard cock.

"I love you too, Steve. You're the only partner I need," the genius answered in a soft, loving voice and then hung up, leaving Steve feeling a little sexually frustrated.

Without Tony around, Steve didn't know what to do with himself. All of his old friends were dead and buried, and he never really made any new ones except for his teammates. Since the Avengers had disbanded (for the time being), each member went back to their lives. Bruce returned to Calcutta to help the sick and injured, Thor was visiting Jane Foster in New Mexico, and Natasha and Clint were God knows where, working on an undercover mission for S.H.I.E.L.D. Steve missed his team and wished they were around to keep him company while his boyfriend was away, but he knew it was better for all of them to 'do their own thing' as Tony would say.

_The tower's so cold and empty without Tony here… I guess I'll blow off some steam and work out, _Steve thought to himself as he walked somberly to the bedroom he shared with the genius.

Steve changed into his workout clothes, which consisted of a white t-shirt, brown sweatpants and white tennis shoes. When hee walked into the gym, he noticed that there were over a dozen new punching bags, much to his delight. As he approached the pyramid of bags, he noticed that there was a yellow post-it note on the top of the pile.

_Wow, I've never seen this many punching bags in here before. I'm sure Tony put these here, but I guess I better read the note and see what it says _Steve thought to himself as he reached for the folded up piece of paper.

"With your track record, I knew you'd have your other bags destroyed before I was even gone a week. Enjoy! Love, Tony."

_That is the sweetest thing Tony's ever done for me… He's so thoughtful, though sometimes I wish he'd say how he felt instead of just showing it with gifts. I really wish I could have gone with him, being here by myself stinks, _Steve thought to himself, tearing up a little as he read Tony's little note over and over again.

Steve grabbed one of the new bags and connected it to a chain hanging from the ceiling. Overwhelmed with emotion, Steve made short work of the bag, sending it flying across the room in under a minute. It ripped at the seams, and a copious amount of sand spilled all over the floor. He sighed heavily and walked over to the stack of punching bags and grabbed a new one, taking more care with the second one.

Several hours and five annihilated punching bags later, Steve left the gym and took a quick shower, scrubbing away all of the sweat from his intense workout. He dried off, decided not to bother putting any clothing on, and walked into the bedroom. Steve lay down on Tony's side of the bed and pressed his face into his lover's pillow, inhaling deeply as memories of the genius lying next to him flooded into his brain.

_God you smell so good Tony. If you were here I'd be fucking you senseless… Your ass would be up in the air and you'd be begging for it, and since I'm the only one who knows how to give you what you need I'd sink myself deep inside you. You'd moan loudly and try to touch yourself, but I'd slap your hand away so I could rub your cock instead… Your cologne would mix in with your sweat, and I'd breathe it all in as you came all over our nice black sheets, _Steve fantasized to himself as he breathed in his lover's scent that still lingered on the fabric.

Burying his face deep into the pillow, Steve began to stroke his cock, which quickly hardened beneath his fingers. He imagined that Tony was the one touching him, and the thought made him grow even harder. He wished that it was the genius' rough, limber fingers that were palming his dick, and Steve longed for Tony to return home.

When Steve was near climax, he heard Tony's voice appear out of nowhere, and it startled him so much that he stopped stroking himself and held the pillow tight to his chest.

"Hey Steeeeeeeve!" Tony yelled out, appearing on a monitor that came down from the bedroom ceiling.

Tony had informed Jarvis not to tell Steve when he was going to Skype him; he wanted it to be a surprise. What the genius saw was far better than he had imagined, and he was thankful for the pleasant sight.

"I thought you'd be excited to see me but this really takes the cake," the genius said as a large grin appeared on his face.

"Uh, hi Tony," Steve whispered, his face turning beet red from the embarrassment of getting caught masturbating.

"Aww, why did you stop? I was really enjoying the show!" Tony whined as he unbuttoned his dress pants, releasing his thick, raging hard cock.

He began to touch himself, letting out a long, loud moan, hoping to rile Steve up again. It worked, and soon Steve began to rub his dick so fast that Tony was sure he was going to leave friction burns.

"Come for me, Steve," Tony demanded, a growl emanating from his throat as he pumped his cock in sync with the super-soldier.

"Oh God yes, I'm about to…" Steve cried out as his orgasm raged through him, cum shooting all over his six-pack and the pillow on his chest.

Steve, still high from his orgasm, lazily watched Tony as he pumped his dick in a slow, steady rhythm. He always loved watching the genius touch himself, and he wished there was some way he could give Tony a hand job through Skype. Sadly technology hadn't progressed that far, though he desperately wished it had.

"You look so beautiful, Tony," the super-soldier whimpered as his cock began to twitch from the erotic sight before him.

As the super-soldier began to put his hand on his growing dick again, he noticed some movement in the background. When he examined the genius' surroundings, he realized that there were three men in ski masks creeping up behind him.

"Tony, look out!" Steve yelled loudly, hoping Tony would be able to evade their grasp.

Tony immediately turned around, but it was too late; the three men in masks grabbed him and handcuffed him before he could even flinch.

"Fuck, the least you could have done was let me finish!" Tony hissed as he spit in the face of a large, beastly looking man.

The man, angered by the genius' actions, slammed his fist into Tony's mouth, busting his lip wide open. Blood was pouring out of the wound and dripped down the genius' chin and onto his exposed cock.

"Jarvis, record this footage!" Tony cried out before he received a blow to the nose, causing blood to gush from his nostrils and into his gaping mouth.

Steve watched in horror as they put a bag over Tony's head and began to drag him away.

"I'll find out who's doing this, Tony! I'm going to find you and take care of this whole mess! I'm not going to let them have you!" Steve screamed out, terror and fury raging through his voice as he reached his arms out in a protective motion, though he knew it wouldn't matter.

"Steve, I love you, never forget that!" Tony cried out, the words muffled by the bag as two of the men took him out of the room.

Before Steve could respond, the large, beastly attacker disconnected the Skype call.

_God, please watch over Tony and make sure he doesn't get too roughed up… I'm going to find you if it's the last thing I do, Tony. I promise I'll never quit looking for you, and the men who took you are going to die at my hands, _the super-soldier thought to himself as tears began to roll down his cheeks.


	9. Chapter 9

"Where the fuck am I and what the hell do you want with me? This room smells like rotting corpses! If you're going to kidnap me then the least you could do is take me to a place that doesn't reek like Eddie Gein's farmhouse!" Tony yelled out, his voice softened by the bag that was still on his head. He couldn't move his hands and feet, as they were bound by cuffs.

"Shut up you spoiled little shit!" an attacker with a deep voice yelled as he landed a hard punch into Tony's stomach, knocking the wind out of the billionaire.

"You fucking assholes are going to get what's coming to you, believe me on that one… And God whichever one of you punched me really needs to take a shower. You smell like you rolled in a big pile of garbage… You should really invest in some deodorant, it may help with your condition," Tony hissed, his voice raspy from the loss of breath.

"Man you really don't know when you should keep your mouth shut… Well we're going to change that," a man with a loud, squeaky voice said as he got behind Tony and ripped the bag off of his head.

Tony only had enough time to notice the blood stains spattered all across the dark, dingy room and what looked to be the remains of something that was once human before a blindfold was put over his eyes.

"Jesus Christ you're all disgusting! Did your mothers forget to teach you how to clean up for yourselves? Oh wait, they probably didn't love you, maybe that's why you feel the need to mess with someone way out of your league…" Tony was cut off when a ball gag was shoved in his mouth.

"You're never going to be the same after we're done with you, Stark. We promise you that," the attacker with the deep voice growled as they shoved him to the floor.

They tortured Tony for several hours, not explaining who they were working for or why they were hurting him. First the kidnappers started by kicking him, forcing him into the fetal position to keep the blows from hitting the more sensitive parts of his body. Tony held back his cries even though the pain was overwhelming, as he didn't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing how much damage they were inflicting. After kicking him for what felt like an eternity, Tony heard one of the men crack a whip, which quickly made contact with the flesh on his back. The lashes came quick and hard, Tony wincing with each time the whip hit his skin. After the fifth lash, Tony could no longer keep his emotions hidden; he cried out in pain, the cry muffled by the ball gag. He could hear all three men laugh as he screamed out.

When the kidnapper whipped him for the fifteenth time, two of the men sat him up and ripped off his shirt, exposing his chest.

_Please don't go for the arc reactor… please, _Tony thought to himself, trying to suppress his fear.

The man with the squeaky voice took Tony's blindfold off and then inspected the arc reactor in his chest, grinning viciously at Tony. All Tony could see were their eyes and mouths, as they still had their masks on.

_I wish they would take those fucking things off so I could get a look at them…And why is one of them just standing against the wall? He must be behind all of this… _Tony thought, anger building deep inside of him.

At that thought, the man at the wall sneered at him and promptly left the room. Tony returned his attention to the attacker with the obnoxious voice, who began to talk.

"You need this to live, don't you Stark? We'll leave it alone on one condition…"

Wanting to live another day in hope of seeing Steve again, he begrudgingly nodded, feeling sick to his stomach.

"We want you to get on your hand and knees and beg for your life. Show us how much of a little bitch you are," the man with the deep voice said, his voice booming.

He struggled into the position and looked into their eyes and whimpered, feeling humiliated and disgusted.

"That's a good little doggie… Now I know you can't get enough of rolling in corpses! We have a nice one for you in the corner; it's been there a while so it's extra mushy. Go on boy, roll in it!" The man with the annoying voice demanded with a sneer on his face.

Thinking of the possible infection he could get if the questionable remains entered into the lash wounds, Tony refused and wouldn't budge. Tony looked his kidnappers deep into their eyes and shot them the angriest glare he could muster. The man with the deep voice grabbed a collar and put it on his neck, dragging him to the corpse with such force that he thought his neck would break.

"Now roll in it, dammit!" The kidnapper rubbed Tony's face in it and the putrid stench filled his nostrils, giving him the dry heaves.

A minute later the man with the squeaky voice lifted up Tony's head and looked him straight in the eye.

"You can't get enough, can you? This is all you deserve, you weak little man. You can't do anything without your precious Captain America, can you?" the attacker with the high-pitched voice hissed, a twisted smile growing on his face.

At that moment, all of the memories from the torture he endured in Afghanistan came flooding back into his mind. Tony normally had a handle on his PTSD, but this was just too much. The flashback threw him into a rage, and he head-butted the annoying man, knocking him out. The man with the deep voice, shocked, let go of the collar and began to make his way to the door, trying to escape from the ball of fury that Tony had become. Tony, in his maddened frenzy, quickly got up from the floor and jumped on the attacker, wrapping the chain from his handcuffs around his neck. Tony dug the chain deep into the man's throat, choking him. The man let out a few gurgling noises and fell to the floor, dead. Tony went back to the obnoxious man, who was beginning to gain consciousness again, and wrapped the chain around his neck, strangling him to death as well.

"Bravo, Mr. Stark, bravo," the man who Tony believed was in charge said as he sauntered in. He removed his mask as he made his way to Tony.

"Shit," was all Tony was able to mumble as the man smashed him in the face with a shield, knocking him unconscious.


	10. Chapter 10

Steve wasted no time once the call ended. He quickly put on a pair of khakis and a white t-shirt and shouted out to Jarvis to call Pepper.

"Yes, Captain Rogers, I will call her right away," Jarvis replied. It felt like hours before Pepper finally answered the phone.

"Steve? I haven't heard from you in a long time… Well actually I really have never heard from you. Is everything okay?" she asked, surprise and worry in her voice.

"No, Miss Potts. I'm sorry to be the bringer of bad news but something terrible has happened to Tony… Jarvis is there a way that you can show her the footage from the Skype call?" Steve asked.

Immediately Jarvis sent the video to Pepper's phone, and all Steve could hear was a loud gasp come from the other side of the phone. He gave her a few minutes to collect herself before he continued talking.

"Do you know who would want to kidnap Tony?" Steve asked in a commanding voice.

"The list goes on and on, Steve. Sorry to say that narrowing down people is going to be next to impossible," Pepper sighed, sadness filling her voice.

"Is there any way you know of that we can locate Tony's whereabouts?" Steve asked Pepper. He always assumed that she had all the answers, seeing as her and Tony have been best friends for years and that she's watched him most of his technological gadgets.

"No, Steve, I'm not..." Pepper tried to say before Jarvis interrupted her.

"Yes, Captain Rogers. He actually built a small tracking device that is directly connected to me. It gives me GPS coordinates to his current locations. Master Stark has been working on the technology since the Avengers disbanded, and just began using it the day he left for Los Angeles. It is injected underneath the skin on his shoulder so no one is able to see it."

_Why didn't he tell me? What is the point of tracking himself if no one but Jarvis knows about it? _Steve thought, though he quickly snapped out of it when Pepper started speaking.

"Steve, call Director Fury and see if you can assemble a team to rescue Tony. I will have Jarvis connect with the S.H.I.E.L.D database when Fury arrives with a helicopter so you will be able to track Tony down. I'm on my way to the tower," Pepper said and promptly hung up.

Steve did as Pepper instructed and had Jarvis contact Fury.

"Captain, I was just about to call you. Pepper sent me the footage… What in the fuck happened!" Director Fury said, anger flowing in his voice.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to figure out myself, Director. It turns out Tony created a device that tracks his location and relays directly to Jarvis. Pepper said we can connect Jarvis to a helicopter or plane and we can find Tony," Steve spoke confidently to hide his despair.

"For once Stark did something right, I'm surprised… I'll be able to send Romanov and Barton with you on this so-called 'Operation Rescue Stark' mission. Banner needs some down-time and I really don't want to deal with another Demi-God anytime soon. We'll be meeting you at the tower in less than an hour. Suit up," Fury ordered.

"Yes sir. I'll be ready when you get here," Steve said as he hung up.

Pepper barged into Tony's lab as Steve was putting on his Captain America suit. Steve, knowing that now was not the time to be shy, kept getting ready right in front of her.

"Listen, Steve, I just wanted to say a few things before you leave to find Tony," Pepper said, her voice tender and filled with concern.

"Of course, Miss Potts, I'm all ears," Steve replied sincerely.

"Steve, you have made such a difference in Tony's life. He never would have injected himself with a tracking device before he met you. Before, Tony wouldn't have cared if anyone knew where he was or what happened to him. He just did whatever he wanted. But now that he has you, it seems like he realizes that his life matters to other people. Thanks for giving him the love and understanding that I couldn't," Pepper spoke softly as she walked over to Steve and put her arms around him, embracing him in a friendly hug.

Steve hugged back, feeling comforted by her warmth.

"Bring him home safe, Steve," Pepper whispered in his ear.

"I will, Miss Potts. I promise," Steve responded.

Several minutes later, Fury showed up at Stark Tower with Natasha and Clint in a S.H.I.E.L.D helicopter.

"Barton, Romanov, Director," Steve said respectfully as he hopped into the copter.

The three nodded in response to his greeting, and soon they were off, Steve waving goodbye to Pepper until she was no longer in sight.

_I never realized how much Pepper cared about Tony. By God's graces I'm going to get Tony back, not only for our sake but for hers. I won't let you down, I promise, _Steve vowed to himself as the helicopter made its way to Los Angeles. 


	11. Chapter 11

As Tony regained consciousness, he realized he was in an upright position, tied up to a chair. The ball gag was removed from his mouth, however, and he stared up into the lead kidnapper's face.

"What was the point of putting on a black mask then changing back into the one you always wear? I mean I would have recognized you right away if you didn't, but still. And why do you keep tying me up, are you into a little BDSM? I know I'm gorgeous and just looking at me makes people crazy with lust, but you should know how to contain yourself, you are a mercenary after all…" Tony said sarcastically, calmed down from his rage.

"What do you know about me, Stark?" The man asked, his emotions hidden by the mask.

"Well you worked for S.H.I.E.L.D and the U.S government for a while, but you basically suck at life so they canned your ass. I also know you like to make weapons that mimic the ones awesome superheroes use, hence the Captain America-esque shield you hit me in the head with. You did a pretty decent job, seeing as you made it step by step with a model kit…" Tony taunted with a cocky grin.

"If you really think that your petty quips are going to rile me up, you're quite mistaken. Face it, Stark, you're going to die down here in this fetid room. No one will be able to find you, not even that stupidly determined Captain America that means so much to you," the masked mercenary said smugly.

_That's where you're wrong. I'm a fucking genius and Jarvis will be able to help Steve find me. Thank God I implanted that device before I left… _Tony thought, a grin slowly forming on his face.

He was so deep in thought that he was caught off guard when the mercenary placed a knife to his left cheek.

"So sorry to ruin this pretty little face of yours… Oh wait, of course I'm not!" the mercenary laughed as he cut into his cheek, leaving a gash that spanned the entire surface.

Blood began to ooze from the wound, and Tony cried out in pain.

"Fuck, that's my good side you son of a bitch!" Tony snarled.

The kidnapper ignored Tony and slashed into his face two more times on the same side, then slowly worked his way down to Tony's chest. The mercenary put his hand on the arc reactor and gently stroked it, reminding Tony of Steve's obsession with it. It always turned him on when Steve touched the reactor or put his lips to it, and he had to fight back the arousal the thought gave him.

"It's quite impressive that you've managed to keep yourself alive with this contraption…" his attacker said as he made quick, small cuts across Tony's pecs and stomach.

Tony groaned with pain, hoping that the masked villain would just knock him unconscious again. Suddenly, the mercenary quit cutting into Tony's flesh and put the knife back into a sheath on his belt. The kidnapper promptly punched him in the face, hitting Tony in the mouth so hard that his right canine tooth flew out of his mouth. His lip split open again, and soon blood was pouring from his mouth and onto his bare chest. With no time to react to the first blow, another connected to his right eye, and soon it was swollen shut.

Tony wanted to yell out in pain, but he couldn't; his mouth hurt too much and his cries of suffering from the cutting made his throat raspy. The kidnapper then slammed his fist into Tony's stomach, causing Tony to cough up blood. The red fluid splashed onto the mercenary's mask as the man let out a vicious laugh.

"Ooh poor boy, are you in pain? Well that's too bad, isn't it?" the mercenary said in a low growl.

Tony uttered a quiet "fuck you" as he spit up some more blood. He noticed that two women in scrubs were walking into the dank, disgusting room.

_They're either nurses, doctors, or two crazy henchwomen that are going to do horrific medical experiments on me… _Tony thought, feeling a wave of panic wash over him.

"They're going to patch you up, and then you and I are going to have a little more fun," the villain said, then turned around and exited the room.

"Get the fuck off me!" Tony tried to yell, but it only came out in a pathetic whimper. One of the women injected him with something and he quickly fell asleep.

"Thank God for knockout serum! If I had to hear him scream during all this I'd go crazy!" one of the women said as the other was untying Tony from the chair.

They placed him on a stretcher and went to work. The nurses rubbed alcohol into his wounds and applied hospital strength anti-bacterial ointment. After the wounds were all cleaned up, the ladies placed large bandages on the open cuts and lacerations. When the women were finished, they carted him over to another room, where the mercenary was waiting.

Tony slowly woke up, adjusting to the bright light in the room. He felt as if a semi hit him, and was groaning in pain as he sat up. The room appeared to be a gym; there were a few punching bags, weight lifting equipment and some martial arts equipment on the wall.

_Wow, this must be an underground training facility for his minions… I wonder what he's going to do with me, _Tony thought, feeling as if a lump was in his throat.

"Ah, you're finally awake, Stark. I hope you enjoyed your little nap. Now get off of the stretcher and put these gloves on," the villain directed as he tossed a pair of wraps and boxing gloves at Tony.

"What in the fuck for?" Tony demanded, anger flooding his voice.

"Well we're going to box, of course. I've heard you've got quite the skill at it, and I'd like to see what you can do," the kidnapper said calmly.

Tony wrapped up his hands and put the gloves on and walked slowly towards the middle of the room where the mercenary was waiting.

"Well then, let's begin," the mercenary growled.

Tony, driven by his rage, ran at his opponent and gave him a right hook to the jaw with as much force he could muster in his pathetic condition. The villain laughed it off, as it only took one punch for him to figure out Tony's fighting style, thanks to his photographic reflexes. Tony kept throwing punches, but to no avail; the mercenary was a master at combat and knew every move that was to come. His anger began to subside and the jarring pain from his wounds began to sink in. Tony started to feel weak, and at that moment the mercenary landed an uppercut on the billionaire, knocking him to the floor.

Tony was flat on his back when the mercenary got on top of him.

"I must say, you put up quite the fight. Is it because you're missing your Captain, Stark?" the kidnapper taunted.

Tony, feeling punch drunk, looked the masked man directly in the eyes and spit on him. The mercenary laughed and took some handcuffs off of his belt, locking up Tony's hands. Tony's kidnapper slowly worked his way down, putting his weight on the genius' legs so he couldn't move. He unzipped Tony's pants and looked up at Tony.

"Hey, get the fuck off of me! Leave me alone!" Tony groaned as he squirmed on the floor. "But I thought you liked when I touched you…" the mercenary said, but his voice changed to sound like Steve's.

"Shit… You can mimic voices too? Fuck…" Tony moaned as he began to grow hard at the mercenary's touch.

Steve's voice was always enough to turn him on, and it made him feel ashamed and guilty that he wanted the touch of an impersonator. The kidnapper's promptly took Tony's cock into his mouth, licking and sucking with such intensity that Tony was reduced to loud moans. He tried to hold back his orgasm, but it was no use.

The mercenary took Tony's dick out of his mouth and said, "I love you, Tony" in Steve's sweet voice as he pumped the billionaire's cock with his hand. Tony came with a shout, his cum spreading all across his belly.

"I'll leave you here to collect your senses, Stark," the villain said with a laugh as he sauntered out of the room.

Tony, feeling completely broken, began to cry.

"I'm going to kill you if it's the last thing I do, Taskmaster!" Tony sobbed out as he lay in the fetal position.


	12. Chapter 12

The three Avengers and Fury finally found Tony's location after what felt like an eternity.

"Well, there's no building here, so it must be underground," Clint stated as he surveyed the surroundings.

"Jarvis, can you tell us where the entrance is?" Fury asked, though it was more of a demand than anything.

"Yes sir. It is located a kilometer south of our current coordinates. The entrance is a small brown door in the ground. It is locked, but Captain Rogers should be able to break it," Jarvis replied.

"So what's the plan?" Natasha asked Steve in a cold, even voice.

"We're going to want to lure the enemy out. Whoever kidnapped Tony has underlings, and I expect there to be many. Clint, keep a reasonable distance and shoot anyone who appears to be dangerous. There may be other captives down there, so just don't launch an arrow into anyone who appears to be a civilian. Miss Romano- I mean Natasha, stay in close with me. You and I will take on the ones that Clint misses until backup arrives. When they show up, I will go inside and find Tony," Steve directed.

The three Avengers jumped out of the plane and landed next to the door of the bunker. Clint and Natasha took their positions. Steve grabbed the two sides of the large, metal door, as it had no handle on the outside. He ripped it out of the ground with ease, and soon he heard sirens go off inside of the bunker. Steve quickly got out of the way as a swarm of minions came out of the ground. They all wore black masks and black clothing, just like the people who kidnapped Tony.

"Is it just me or do these idiots fit the villain stereotype with these outfits?" Clint joked to the others through his headset, shooting one of the minions in the eye.

"No time for jokes, son," Steve chastised as he whipped his shield into several lackeys, knocking them all unconscious.

Natasha took out two of the henchmen by grabbing one and slamming him into the other.

"Huh. I thought this was going to be hard," Natasha said with a smirk.

She spoke too soon, and before Steve and Natasha knew what was happening they were surrounded by their masked foes.

"Wow these people pack quite the wallop. Whoever trained them has quite the skill," Steve said, breathing heavily.

The minions seemed to have been trained in hundreds of fighting styles, and they began to overpower the duo. Clint ran to their aid, pulling out arrows from the skulls of his victims as he made his way towards his fellow Avengers. While Steve has his back turned, one of the minions grabbed a hold of Natasha while another landed a powerful kick into her upper leg, breaking it. She crashed to the ground, yelling out expletives as she fell. Clint put arrows into the hearts of the lackeys that had attacked her and protected her from being injured again. Steve turned around and saw her face twisted in pain, and it made him sick to his stomach to see that his teammate was suffering.

"Natasha! Fury, get the medics here stat! And where are our backups?" Steve yelled into his headset as he and Clint made a circle around Natasha, keeping her safe from the onslaught.

"Hold them off for just a minute longer, Captain, the reinforcements are almost here," Fury replied.

Before the three heroes were torn to shreds, reinforcements arrived and surrounded the remaining minions, forcing them to surrender. Clint carried Natasha to the helicopter and handed her to two medics, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips before she was taken to the hospital. He walked back over to Steve, worry and concern plastered all over his face.

"Man I can really see why you care so damn much about Tony. If I lost Tasha I wouldn't know what to do with myself…" Clint said, putting his arm around Steve.

"Thanks, Clint. Now let's get in the bunker and find Tony," Steve said, appearing to be confident and calm.

The two climbed down into the bunker and saw that they were smack-dab in the middle of a long, narrow hallway that spanned at least a half mile on both ends. The walls were a dingy brown, and the air was damp and heavy. There were five large, metal doors on each side of the hallway, and on the end of the hallway to the left was a dark brown door with cracks in it.

_I bet Tony's in that door… God I hope he's okay, _Steve thought to himself, his chest feeling heavy.

"Clint, you go to the right and I'll go to the left. Notify me if you see anything, and I'll do the same," Steve directed. Clint nodded, and the two men split up.

Steve quietly makes his way to the end of the hallway, carefully opening up each door that he walked past. The only thing he found of interest was what was behind the second door, a beautiful gym with mirrors and plenty of workout equipment. Steve quietly admired it, then after a few seconds he kept on moving. As he came closer to the door at the end of the hallway, he began to hear sounds of life. At first, all he heard was mumbling, but he knew immediately that it was Tony.

_Tony! Thank God he's alive! _Steve thought as he walked faster to the door.

When he reached his destination, however, he knew that Tony wasn't okay.

"Fuck! Stop, you son of a bitch! Oh God, it feels like you're tearing me apart!" Tony hissed at his attacker as he groaned loudly in pain.

_No one hurts MY Tony! _Steve, feeling as if his heart was going to fly out of his chest, ripped the door off of its hinges and walked into the room.

He stopped right in his tracks when he saw the horrible, pathetic sight that was in front of him. His lover was hogtied, naked, on the floor with Taskmaster on top of him. Tony's face was battered and bruised, three deep slashes marking the flesh on his left cheek. His chest and back were all bandaged up, and he saw that the mercenary's cock was buried deep into Tony's ass. Steve saw blood oozing out of the billionaire's hole and onto his thighs as the man slammed his dick furiously into him. Tony turned and looked Steve deep into his eyes, tears streaming down his face.

Steve, blinded by rage, threw his shield at Taskmaster, knocking him off of Tony. The mercenary quickly pulled up his pants and got into a fighting position as Steve ran towards him. "You're going to pay for what you've done, you disgusting, depraved piece of shit!" Steve swore as he landed a painfully hard kick to Taskmaster's side.

The villain stumbled backwards, but quickly caught his footing and slammed his fist right into Steve's jaw. Steve's lip cracked from the blow and blood began to trickle from the wound. Steve smirked and wiped the blood off of his lip, feeding the fire that raged through his heart. The super-soldier lunged at the mercenary and tackled him to the ground. Not one to oppose fighting dirty, Taskmaster kneed Steve in the balls, causing the super-soldier to loosen his grip. The mercenary gained the upper hand and put Steve in a sleeper hold, which he was unable to remove himself from.

"You know, Stark, I was only sent to kill you. It just happens to be a bonus that I get to kill your darling Captain America right in front of you before you die…" the Taskmaster said with a hearty laugh.

"Oh no you're not!" Clint said as he shot the mercenary in his left ass cheek with an arrow.

"Ow!" Taskmaster cried out as the archer grabbed him and slammed him up against the wall.

Clint grabbed a piece of rope that was coiled up on the floor and tied up the villain's hands. Steve slowly got up off of the cold, hard floor and walked up to the where Clint was.

"My aim isn't very good when it comes to a bow, but can I give it a try?" Steve asked Clint, who nodded "yes".

Steve aimed the arrow and shot it into Taskmaster's left calf, causing the villain to cry out in pain.

"You like that? Well there's another one where that came from!" Steve howled as another arrow sank into the skin and muscle of the mercenary's right calf.

Knowing that they needed Taskmaster for interrogation, Steve gave Clint his weapon back in fear that he would kill the villain.

"Good thing I could hear you through the wire, Cap, otherwise I may not have gotten here in time. I'll take Taskmaster up to Fury and give you and Tony a minute," Clint said with sympathy as he led the mercenary out of the room.

When the two were out of sight, Steve quietly kneeled down over Tony and cut the ropes that bound his arms and legs. He sat down beside his lover and gently took him in his arms. Tony curled up into his chest and began to cry, tears soaking into Steve's uniform.

"Tony, I'm so sorry that I didn't make it here sooner. I know it doesn't seem like it now, but everything's going to be okay, I'm here, and I'm never going to let you go. I love you so much, Tony, you're my world," Steve cooed as he held the love of his life close to his body.


	13. Chapter 13

Steve carried his boyfriend out of the bunker and brought him to the helicopter that was waiting for him.

"This doesn't look like a S.H.I.E.L.D helicopter, Steve," Tony whispered as he clung to the super-soldier for dear life.

"It's not, Tony. I didn't think you would want to deal with them after all that you've been through so I had Pepper bring in one of your company's helicopters. We're heading straight to your personal hospital room in the tower so no one will bother you," Steve answered, kissing Tony on the forehead.

Tony began to cry again, feeling more vulnerable than he ever has in his life.

"Shh, shh, don't cry, you're safe in my arms and I'm not letting anyone else take you away from me," Steve said in a soft, gentle voice as he carried Tony onto the helicopter.

Tony woke up in his hospital room, barely able to move. He could feel every bruise, cut, and laceration that covered his body and felt as if he would pass out again.

"Fuck…" Tony groaned, gritting his teeth.

A nurse walked in and asked him how he was feeling, to which he replied, "give me the strongest pain meds possible, and make it snappy."

She sighed and stuck him with an IV, which sent morphine directly into his veins. After a few minutes, he began to relax, the pain shifting from unbearable to tolerable.

"Better?" The nurse asked.

"Yes, much better. Now leave me alone. I'll call you when I need something," Tony replied in a snarky tone of voice.

She rolled her eyes, mumbled something and walked out of the room.

_Finally, some peace and quiet… _Tony smiled at the thought.

His alone time didn't last long, however, as a worried Steve rushed into the room.

"Hey, how are you feeling? You've been in a drug-induced coma to help you rest, the doctors knew that you'd try and get up instead of letting yourself heal if they didn't. You sustained a lot of injuries, so this was the best option. It's been a week now and I'm glad you're finally awake. I have some cards for you. They're from our teammates," Steve said, trying to hide his concern.

"You know, whenever you deal with me you can't hide your emotions worth a shit. I know you're worried, but you don't need to be. I'm hopped up on pain meds and I'm not being bothered by stupid journalists. Now hand over those cards!" Tony demanded.

Steve carefully placed the cards into Tony's hands, and he opened each of them. There was one from Clint and Natasha, one from Thor and Jane, one from Pepper, and surprisingly enough, one from Fury.

_Weird, _Tony thought to himself.

"So which of our teammates helped with the rescue? Why in the hell did Fury send me a card? And what's up with Bruce, I don't see anything from him in here…" Tony said, his voice tinged with disappointment.

"Clint and Natasha were the only two who were able to assist with the mission, since Bruce is in Calcutta and Fury wanted to give him a break and he didn't feel like dealing with any so-called 'Demi-Gods'. Natasha had her leg broken by one of Taskmaster's henchman, but she's recovering nicely. Clint's taking good care of her. Fury sent you a card because they've been looking for that idiot for several months now and you led them to him. He wouldn't give me the reasons they were looking for Taskmaster, but after a long interrogation they found out why he kidnapped you…" Steve hesitated as he spoke the words aloud.

"That stupid son of a bitch wouldn't tell me why, I'm glad he at least told someone… Now tell me why!" Tony demanded, his voice a little harsher than it needed to be.

"I wasn't around when this previous event occurred, so bear with me. I'm sure you remember when you humiliated Senator Stern by making him look stupid on television twice? Well, he was so determined to get revenge that he hired Taskmaster to take you out. Since he had worked for the government in the past, Stern was able to track him down. He's under arrest, and you'll be testifying against both of them in court the week after next. They want to get this trial under wraps as soon as possible, because the news leaked and now it's become headline news," Steve said, unhappy to be the bearer of bad news.

"Fuck, I barely even get time to rest! I swear this shit happens all the time… Reliving this shit is not on my to-do list. And you never answered by question about Bruce," Tony grumbled, trying to contain his anger.

"Hey, man, good to see you again," Bruce said, standing at the door.

"Ah, Brucey baby, my favorite scientist! Get over here!" Tony beamed as he slowly raised his arms up so he could give Bruce a hug.

"I'll leave you two alone," Steve said softly as he walked out of the room. _I wish he would have been that excited to see me, _Steve thought to himself sadly as he closed the door.

"It's nice to see you acting like yourself, Tony. Steve flew out to Calcutta himself to come and get me as soon as they put you into a coma. Since you were unconscious for a week it bought him plenty of time. I'm really glad he told me, otherwise I may not have known until the next time the Avengers got together, since I tend to avoid world news when I'm working," Bruce said with a warm smile.

"Thank you so much for coming to visit, Bruce. That means a lot to me. When I get better we need to do some experiments!" Tony grinned, feeling thankful that he had such a great friend.

The two talked for several hours, geeking out about everything scientific. It helped Tony take his mind off of the traumatic experience, and he was saddened when Bruce had to leave.

"Going so soon? Damn you need to come back to New York soon… There's always a place for you at Stark Tower, remember that," Tony said as he hugged Bruce goodbye.

"I'll be back eventually, Tony. I have a responsibility to take care of the sick and do some good as Dr. Banner, not just the Hulk, uh the 'other guy'. Take care Tony, I'll keep in touch," he said as he put on his coat and headed out the door.

He sat in silence for a few minutes, trying to keep the horrible memories out of his head. Tony dreaded the moment when Steve would walk in that door. He didn't like that Steve saw him in such a vulnerable state, and it killed him inside that Steve had to witness his rape. The look in Steve's eyes was too much to bear, and it was forever burned into his mind. He never wanted to see Steve look as if his heart had been ripped out and thrown to the floor again. Tony knew that Steve quietly chastised himself for not getting there in time to stop it, and he wished there was a way to just go on and pretend it never happened. The super-soldier that he adored so much would want to have a discussion about it at some point, and he had the sinking feeling in his gut that it would be tonight.

"Tony?" Steve whispered as he gently caressed his boyfriend's face, trying to wake him up.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm awake…" Tony replied, rubbing his eyes.

"I was wondering if I could move you from the hospital bed to ours. I didn't want to do it without your consent, since I know you're in a lot of pain," Steve spoke softly into Tony's ear.

"That definitely sounds much better than being in this sterile room all day… I'll get to snuggle with my Capsicle, or at least attempt to anyway. I want to keep the IV in though, it's the only thing making this pain bearable," Tony said, smiling weakly.

Steve slowly helped Tony off of the bed and held his hand as they made their way to the master bedroom.

"Easy, Steve," Tony hissed as his lover helped him into bed.

"Sorry, I'm being as gentle as I can," Steve said somberly as he carefully laid down next to Tony and brought him close to his body.

Tony laid his head on Steve's chest, feeling the warmth radiate off of his lover. It always made him feel safe and secure, something he desperately needed right now. He loved the way Steve smelled like a mixture of sweat and the Sea Island Cotton scented lotion that he loved so much. He loved being in Steve's strong arms, knowing that he always took care not to crush him. Hell, he just loved everything about him, except his overwhelming need to communicate and talk everything through, even if it was at the worst possible time.

"Tony, I'm so sorry that I didn't make it in time to stop him from violating you. Knowing that I couldn't protect you from that makes me feel like a failure. I'm supposed to be a hero, and I can't even protect the love of my life from a sadistic mercenary. He was inside of you right when I got there… If only I could have gotten there a few minutes earlier," Steve strained to get the words out, his eyes welling up with tears.

"Steve, there's nothing you could have done… It wasn't the physical fucking itself that got to me anyway," Tony choked out the words in a barely audible whisper.

"What did he do to you Tony," Steve said, coming out as more of a demand than a question.

"Taskmaster, he knows how to mimic voices… Oh God, Steve! It was horrible! He talked to me in your voice as he touched me, he whispered sweet nothings into my ear and said how much he loved me the way you do to mind-fuck me, and it worked. It turned me on, Steve, and it makes me so fucking sick to my stomach," Tony cried out, bursting into tears.

The words rang through Steve's mind, and something snapped in him. He was filled with rage, and he felt a strong need to reclaim what was his. Steve swiftly climbed on top of Tony, taking care not to squish him. He kissed Tony passionately and hard, taking his lover completely by surprise. Steve looked Tony deep in his eyes, the look in his eyes so fiery that the smaller man became frightened.

"S-Steve, what's gotten into you?" Tony stuttered as he trembled with fear.

"You're MINE, Tony. No one else's, always and forever mine. No one has the right to touch you, kiss you, make you moan, get you off. That's my job, and one that I'm not going to share. I need you to know that," Steve said, his voice rough with aggression.

Tony looked as though he was going to say something, but Steve cut him off with a rough kiss. Tony opened his mouth, and Steve slid his tongue inside. His lover moaned as their tongues circled around each other.

Tony broke away from the kiss, and pushed Steve off of him. He quickly got up out of bed, letting out a cry of pain as he did so. He turned to Steve, who looked shocked by what had just taken place.

"Tony, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me…" Steve said, disgusted with himself.

"I'm not your property, Steve. I'm no one's property. I love you Steve, but I'm not a fucking possession. I'm in a lot of pain, I just got raped, and all you're thinking about is marking me as your own…. Fuck I didn't even want to talk about this, but you insisted. Why couldn't we have just tried to pretend this never happened? Jesus, I need a drink," Tony sighed as he sank down to the floor.

Steve got up and walked over to Tony and kneeled down in front of him. He took Tony's hands in his trying to soothe him, but the smaller man pushed him away.

"Tony, I'm so sorry for what I just did. I love you so much, and I don't understand why I acted that way. That's not who I am, and you know that," Steve said, filled with guilt and shame.

"I want you to leave. I need some time to myself," Tony said flatly, unable to look at the super-soldier.

Steve, hurt and angry with himself, kissed his boyfriend on the forehead, whispered "I love you," and walked out of the room.

Steve heard Tony tell Jarvis to lock the door and not to allow anyone in, and he felt his heart sink. He sank down to the ground, feeling lower than ever, and began to weep, quietly at first, then gaining in intensity until he became a blubbering mess. Tony could hear him through the other side of the door, and it made him shiver.

"Jarvis, sound proof the room so I can't hear him," Tony said coldly.

"Yes Mr. Stark," Jarvis responded, and immediately Tony was surrounded by pure silence.


	14. Chapter 14

Steve tried to understand what came over him to make him act as if he had to reclaim Tony as his own, but nothing seemed to make sense to him. It crushed him inside to know that he was capable of treating someone like they were property, especially the man he loved.

_Maybe the fact that I love him so much made me act this way… There's something about him that makes me crazy, and I really wish I could control my emotions around him. I've never struggled so much to keep my emotions in check my entire life_, Steve thought to himself with his head in his hands.

He continued to sit by the door, only getting up to eat and use the bathroom. The super-soldier even slept by the door, hoping that Tony would come out or let him back into the room. He would try to bring his lover food, but the genius would refuse it.

_At least he un sound-proofed his room to respond to me. I guess that's a start…_ Steve thought to himself, and he began to feel some hope that Tony would come out soon.

After the third day of Tony isolating himself, Steve's hope began to fade, but the super-soldier didn't leave his position next to the door no matter how frustrated or saddened he became.

He didn't hold it against Tony for wanting to be alone though; he understood that sometimes his lover just liked to be alone. After seeing the abuse that Tony was subjected to, Steve desperately wanted to cling to him and keep him safe in his arms forever. He wanted to show the smaller man how much he was loved and needed, but Steve messed it up. Instead of comforting Tony and making him feel safe, he made him feel like he was just a sexual play-toy. There was nothing Steve could do but ride out the storm and let Tony let him back into his heart when he was ready. He sighed heavily, dried his eyes and curled up on the floor by their bedroom door and fell into a restless sleep.

"Master Stark, you do realize that Captain Rogers has rarely left the door, right?" Jarvis asked, attempting to knock some sense into Tony.

"Sure, whatever," Tony said bitterly as he chugged a bottle of scotch.

It burned as it went down, but being drunk helped him feel better. At least it used to, before Steve came into the picture. Now it just made him even more depressed, because he knew it bothered his super-soldier. When he met Steve, the amount he reduced the amount he drank drastically, and most of the time Tony never had a drink when his lover was around. All of the stress and anger the genius had been feeling brought back the desire to drink, and he gave in to it. He had been drunk for the past three days, and even though it just made him feel like shit he kept drinking anyway.

Tony didn't want Steve to see him like this because he was ashamed that he had reached a breaking point, but at the same time he wanted to get back at his lover. Drinking copious amounts of alcohol made him feel like he was his own person who could make choices for himself, even if they were destructive. Tony didn't want to feel like he was owned by another person; he felt that way in Afghanistan and during Taskmaster's abuse and it crushed him to realize he was vulnerable. The billionaire loved Steve with all of his heart, and that wasn't going to change, but he didn't want the love of his life to think for a second that he was a possession. So he continued to drink, even though Jarvis continued to insist that he stop. Tony was so far gone that he didn't realize how much alcohol he'd consumed.

Steve woke up when he heard a loud crash in their bedroom.

"Tony! Are you okay?" Steve yelled out.

No answer.

"Tony, please answer me! I know you're mad at me and I deserve it, but please don't give me the cold shoulder. I heard a crash!" Steve yelled again, but Tony still did not answer.

He couldn't ask Jarvis what happened, because his boyfriend gave him direct orders not to communicate with the super-soldier. Steve had to take matters in his own hands.

"Tony, I'm coming in whether you like it or not!" Steve howled out as he slammed himself into the door, breaking it down.

What he found horrified him. Tony was unconscious next to their dresser, blood dripping from a large cut on his forehead. He was barely breathing, and there were empty alcohol bottles scattered across their bedroom. Steve's instincts took over and he promptly picked Tony up, put him in the shower and turned the water on as cold as it would go. He shoved his fingers down the smaller man's throat, forcing him to puke. Tony's eyes opened as he continued to puke violently, the cold water raining over him.

"Good, good, get it all out," Steve soothed as he gently rubbed Tony's back.

He turned the water off since the smaller man was finally conscious, and tried to keep him calm as he continued to vomit his guts out. Tony was a complete mess: he was disheveled from not bathing, his eyes were bloodshot, there were dark circles under his eyes and he was covered in puke.

It killed Steve to see Tony like this, and he knew that some of this was his fault.

"Tony, I'm sorry for my behavior. I know there's no justification for what I did, and I'm not going to make up excuses. I know you got drunk to teach me a lesson, and I really wish you wouldn't have. I don't want to lose you because you drank too much!" Steve began to cry, hugging Tony close to his body, ignoring the filth that covered the smaller man.

Tony nodded, puked once more and passed out. Steve carefully took off his boyfriend's black wife beater and boxers, and turned on the shower, this time using warm water. He gently washed Tony's hair and body, taking care not to scrub off the scabs that covered his cuts. It made Steve's heart sink every time he saw them.

As Steve was carrying him out of the shower and carefully drying him off, Tony woke up for a brief moment and smiled drunkenly. He planted a kiss to Steve's lips, which the larger man appreciated but at the same time was disgusted by, as it tasted like vomit.

"I love you, Steve," Tony whispered, passing out shortly after.

The super-soldier put a bandage on the cut on Tony's forehead and then carried him their bed, making sure to lay him down on his side so he wouldn't choke on puke. Steve placed a bucket next to the bed, then got on the bed and spooned the billionaire, making sure not to crush him. Every now and again Tony would throw up, and Steve would rub his back and whisper sweet nothings in an effort to keep him relaxed. Once in a while Tony would panic and ask Steve repeatedly if he was going to die, break out into a giggle fit, or try and initiate sex with the super-soldier. Eventually Tony fell into a deep sleep and Steve watched over him the whole night, staying wide awake in case something happened.

"Jesus my head hurts…" Tony groaned as he woke up.

He watched as Steve walked over to the bed and handed him a glass of water and some painkillers.

"Here, take these, they should help with your headache. You've been asleep for fifteen hours. I don't know how you managed that. Did you sleep at all the past few days?" Steve asked calmly.

"I slept here and there, well more like passed out here and there, but no I didn't really get much sleep. There was too much on my mind. And how in the hell did you get in here?" Tony questioned before taking the pills Steve handed to him.

Steve pointed at the door, which was on the floor and broken into pieces.

"Damn, Steve! That's impressive! Miss me that much?" Tony joked, trying to prevent the conversation from becoming too serious.

"Of course I did, Tony. I hate to see you this upset, especially when it's my fault. Good thing I just happened to walk by the door when I heard you pass out, you could have died," Steve replied, sadness and worry lingering in his words.

"Bullshit, you stayed by the door the whole damn time. Jarvis told me. Jesus you're a shitty liar. And I would have woken up, I've been drunk plenty of times!" Tony exclaimed before puking in the bucket.

The super-soldier sighed, looking at the smaller man tenderly.

"You should have seen yourself, Tony. I have never seen someone puke that much in my life, and I was so afraid you were going to die… Were you, trying to, uh never mind," Steve dismissed what he said and ran his hand through his hair.

"I hate when you don't finish your sentences… What was I trying to do?" Tony asked in an irritated tone.

"Well, I've never seen you drink that much or even heard of you getting that drunk. Did I upset you so much that you wanted to die? I know I added to the trauma of your experience, and I'm a terrible boyfriend for that," Steve choked out the words, tears welling in his eyes.

Tony was shocked by not only the question but by how guilty Steve felt. He was angered and touched at the same time. The genius slowly got up off the bed, still feeling wobbly and sick, and proceeded to slap Steve in the face, making the larger man wince.

"Don't ever fucking ask me a question like that again. I honestly can't believe that you would think I would want to off myself over something like this… Steve I've been through a lot of shit in my life and if I really wanted to be dead I would have done it years ago," Tony snarled as he pushed the larger man into the dresser.

Steve stumbled, but caught his footing and leaned against the wood surface. Tony came up to him and put his finger in the super-soldier's face.

"You don't need to take care of me. I can handle myself. I don't want you to treat me like a delicate little flower, even when I'm beaten up and bruised," Tony hissed as he inched in closer to Steve's face.

The two were close enough to feel each other's breath, and the super-soldier was biting the inside of his cheek, trying to resist the urge to kiss his boyfriend.

"I don't mean to treat you like you're weak. After I lost everything and came into this new world with nothing, I really don't want to lose the only thing that I have," Steve said with desperation in his voice.

Tony planted a gentle kiss to the larger man's lips, and then turned away.

"I think we need some time apart. After all this shit that's happened I really can't deal with this. I need time to get over this by myself, having you around just leaves me feeling raw and exposed, and I just can't take it right now. I'm going to leave the tower for a few days, and I don't want you to try to contact me," Tony said flatly, trying to keep his emotions hidden.

The super-soldier watched in complete shock and disbelief as his lover got dressed, packed one small bag and left the room.


	15. Chapter 15

Tony went down to his lab and quickly put on the two wristbands that summon the Mark VII. When he made the repairs to the suit he increased its speed and the distance that it would be able to travel to find him. If his calculations were correct, the suit could now track him down anywhere in the city in less than a minute, which comforted him. He decided it was best to wear the bands at all times when he was out in public so he wouldn't be vulnerable. Tony learned his lesson that he should never leave unprepared after his run-in with Taskmaster.

_Now I should be protected from any other assholes who want to attack me, _Tony thought to himself as he gently touched the raised marks on his left cheek.

He winced as he softly ran his fingers over them, remembering how it felt when the mercenary cut into his flesh.

"Fuck, I really need to get my mind off of this…" the genius sighed as he scurried out of the room.

He called Happy to pick him up from the tower, as his license was suspended after the whole  
"running over Captain America" scandal. The driver arrived several minutes later and got out of the car, opening the door for Tony. He looked the billionaire up and down, unsettled by what he saw.

"Geez Tony, you don't look good. Your hair's a mess, the clothes you're wearing are crumpled and stained, and your eyes are bloodshot. What happened to you?" Happy questioned, concern lingering in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Nothing happened… I've just been working. Stop asking questions and take me to a nice hotel," Tony replied flatly.

"If you say so, Tony… Is The Mark fine with you? Do I need to pick up Steve later?" Happy asked, attempting to speak in a neutral tone.

"That hotel will work. Let them know that I want the whole top floor to myself when we arrive," the genius responded, ignoring the driver's question about Steve.

Happy nodded silently and put the limo in drive.

_Why the hell would I want Steve around me after the shit he pulled? He needs to know that I can stand being without him, _Tony thought to himself as they drove to The Mark.

After Happy assured Tony that the top floor of the luxury hotel was reserved just for him, the billionaire rode the elevator up to his room. He set his small bag in the corner, which was filled with a toothbrush, toothpaste, a clean pair of tight jeans, a black blazer and a dark red undershirt. He planned on hitting the town that night and wanted to look good doing it. Tony walked into the bathroom and realized that Happy was right, he did look terrible. He shuddered with disgust at his disheveled state and hopped into the shower, scrubbing off all of the filth from the past few days. As the warm water hit Tony's back, he remembered the immense pain he felt when the kidnappers whipped him. He felt as if he was back in the disgusting, filthy room, and all of a sudden he was overwhelmed with the haunting memories from his days in captivity. The genius cried out in anguish and punched the glass door of the shower with his left fist, shattering it into pieces.

"Fuck!" Tony yelled out as he snapped out of his flashback.

There were large pieces of glass stuck in his knuckles, and blood was oozing out around the shards. He quickly turned off the water and got out of the shower, taking care not to step on the glass pieces that littered the floor. He walked over to the sink and pulled out the shards one by one, groaning as he carefully removed each piece. Tony washed his wounds with soap and water in the sink, hissing as the hot water stung his cuts. He called the front desk for some bandage wraps, which were promptly brought up to his room. The genius grabbed the material out of the worker's hands before any questions could be asked and slammed the door. Tony walked back to the bathroom, bandaged up his hand and finished getting dressed. He looked into the mirror one last time, fixing his hair to make sure he had that sexy bed-head look that everyone envied. The billionaire shrugged off his shower outburst as nothing and left the hotel, heading to a nightclub down the street.

He was immediately recognized the moment he stepped into the club. People swarmed up to him, asking for autographs and pictures with him, and it made Tony feel better to be surrounded by fans.

_Good to know people still think I'm awesome. Tony Stark is back! _he thought to himself as he ordered a round of drinks for everyone.

His fans cheered, and it made the billionaire feel like he was in control. He had all of their attention, was given compliment after compliment, and everyone wanted to do shots with him. The only thing missing was Steve. He kept thinking about the good times they've had together and the unconditional love that the super-soldier gave to him. Tony knew that getting drunk wasn't going to solve anything and that he should go talk to Steve, but his pride wouldn't let him. He wasn't ready to admit to himself that he overreacted, and soon the billionaire was so drunk that he could hardly stand straight.

Across the room he spotted a tall, muscular blonde, and in his drunken state Tony thought it was Steve. The two made eye contact and he quickly walked over to the man.

_Steve came to find me! Awesome sex here I come! _Tony exclaimed in his head, forgetting all about his anger and confusion about what happened earlier that day.

When the genius reached the Steve look-alike, he embraced him and whispered in his ear, "Let's get out of here. I've got an awesome hotel room and the bed's fucking amazing."

The muscular man was shocked but excited at the same time and nodded yes. Tony led the man out the door, waving goodbye to everyone in the club.

When the two men entered the hotel room, the larger man grabbed Tony by the waist and planted an aggressive kiss on his lips. The man's lips were rough and chapped, and it took Tony by surprise.

_Steve's mouth doesn't feel like this… _Tony thought to himself as he broke away and looked the imposter in the eyes.

"Your lips feel weird, and now your eyes are brown… Oh my God you're not Steve!" the smaller man cried out, sobering up immediately.

"Yeah, I'm an impersonator. I work at a strip club, and the ladies just eat it up. It's a great gig. Just pretend I'm your sexy Captain tonight, he'll never know…" the imposter said as he inched closer to Tony. The smaller man backed away and activated his wristbands.

"No, I'm not doing this! This is just fucked up! I'm not cheating on him with someone who's not the real deal. You're not even close to being as sexy as he is… Damn you're a shitty imposter; I don't know how in the fuck I fell for it!" Tony blurted out as the man reached to grab him.

"I came up here with the goal of fucking Iron Man, and I'm going to succeed whether you want it or not!" The look-alike yelled out as he lunged for Tony.

He evaded the larger man, and a second later his suit came to the rescue. It shattered the glass of the hotel window and made its way to the genius. The imposter stopped dead in his tracks and watched in awe as the armor attached itself to the smaller man, shocked that he actually got to see Iron Man up close and personal. Before the stranger knew what was happening, Tony had his hand up and was pointing the repulser on his right palm directly at the other man.

"Get the fuck out of my hotel room. I'm not going to give you another warning," Tony said, the suit altering his voice to sound more intimidating.

The genius saw the terror in the imposter's eyes and he could imagine him shitting himself in fear as he ran out the door. Thankfully the look-alike had enough common sense to know not to fuck with Iron Man, even though Tony would never have shot him with a repulser blast. The last thing the genius would want to do is hurt or kill a civilian in his suit. He wouldn't want that lurking in his conscience for the rest of his life.

Tony took off his helmet and sank to the floor next to the shattered window. He was in complete and utter shock. He knew that his lapse in judgment at the hands of alcohol would be in the headlines, and he didn't know how he would explain it to Steve. The genius realized how deeply he cared about the super-soldier, and he was mad at himself that he let his pride get in the way of forgiving Steve for his strange outburst. Tony finally understood why Steve was always concerned about his safety, and he was terrified that he would lose the love of his life after the news came out. Feeling anxious, alone, and scared, he called the one person who could knock some sense into him.

"Pepper? I have no idea what time it is but that doesn't matter. Will you come to The Mark? I'm staying in a room on the top floor," Tony said, his voice trembling as the words left his lips.

By the tone of his voice Pepper knew that it was important, and she became worried.

"It's three in the morning, Tony, but I'll come over. I'll be there shortly," Pepper replied, her voice groggy from just being woken up.

"Bring some donuts too," Tony said, and he hung up the phone.


	16. Chapter 16

When Tony left the tower, Steve continued to lean against the dresser, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

_What do I keep doing wrong? I don't understand what's happening right now… Does it really even have anything to do with me? _Steve thought to himself, his mind racing with thought after thought.

He couldn't make sense of anything anymore, and his head hurt. Steve moved away from the dresser and walked to the bathroom. He walked over to the sink and splashed water on his face, the cool water feeling refreshing against his tired flesh. As he dried off, he looked into the mirror, noticing that he had bags under his eyes from lack of sleep and his hair was a tangled, greasy mess. Steve, a perfectionist at heart, hated when his appearance wasn't spic and span.

He took off his clothes and moved towards the bathtub, turning on the water. When the tub was filled almost to the brim with hot water, Steve slowly lowered himself in, enjoying the heat of the water against his sweaty skin. The super-soldier let himself relax, focusing only on the warmth of the water on his body. He gently washed his body with a bar of soap that smelled like cotton, his favorite scent. Tony always took him into consideration when he bought bath products, and now the smell reminded him of his lover.

_Great, now I can't even use my favorite soap because it makes me think about him. I don't understand why he left; doesn't he care about me anymore? _Steve thought to himself, letting out a long, drawn out sigh.

He lathered up his hair with shampoo and immersed his head in the water, which was becoming lukewarm. Steve stayed under for a minute, and the memory of submerging his plane into the water flooded back into his mind without warning. The super-soldier panicked and inhaled some water, causing him to quickly lift his head out of the water. He coughed violently and began to shake, feeling as if heart would explode out of his chest.

After the coughing fit subsided, Steve quickly got out of the tub, not bothering to drain the water, and hurried to his bed. He crawled underneath the covers on Tony's side of the bed and curled up into a ball. Steve was breathing heavily, and he felt as if he wasn't getting enough oxygen. The super-soldier kept his eyes wide open, fearing the images he would see if he closed his eyes. He desperately fought back tears as he remembered the day he woke up in a strange room and ran out into the street, realizing that everyone he knew and loved was gone. He broke out in a sweat and clung to the sheets, trying to snap out of the flashback.

Steve, in dire need of something to calm him down, called out to Jarvis.

"Jarvis? Can you play 'Iron Man' by Black Sabbath please?" Steve whimpered, the words tumbling out of his mouth.

"Of course, Captain Rogers," Jarvis replied as he played the song.

The music, aggressive and loud, rang through Steve's ears, replacing the traumatic thoughts with ones about Tony. The super-soldier wiped away a few tears, crawled out from under the covers and laid on top of the bed, putting his hands behind his head. He couldn't really understand the words, but he remembered hearing Tony play this song in his lab often. Wishing his boyfriend was there to comfort him, Steve got up off of the bed and grabbed Tony's Black Sabbath shirt out of the hamper, then returned to the soft mattress. He pressed it against his face, the shirt smelling of oil and Tony's sweat. Keeping the shirt pressed up against his face, Steve slowly fell asleep while 'Iron Man' continued to play in the background.

He woke up the next morning still clinging to Tony's dirty shirt. He thought about last night, still feeling a little frightened by what happened. Steve had dealt with flashbacks before and had panic attacks because of them, but never to that degree of severity. Steve used Tony's shirt to wipe off beads of sweat from his forehead. As he swiftly blotted away his sweat, the super-soldier thought about his boyfriend's time in captivity and the way he acted after he returned.

_This must be how Tony's been feeling this whole time… God I've never felt so vulnerable and scared in my entire life! No wonder Tony's so upset with me. I guess I didn't take the time to consider how traumatized he would be. Hopefully he comes home soon and we can work this all out, _Steve thought to himself as he dragged himself out of bed.

He carefully placed the Black Sabbath shirt back into the hamper, put on some khakis and a white shirt and made his way to the kitchen. He made a bowl of oatmeal and sat down at the kitchen table and opened up the laptop that was sitting on top of it. The super-soldier was able to use the internet with ease after Tony's lessons, and he was very grateful for that. While Steve missed reading the news the old-fashioned way from time to time, he liked the fact that he could find any information he wanted with just the click of a mouse. Tabloids had become the super-soldier's guilty pleasure after he and Tony's famous kiss at the press conference, so he typed in "The National Enquirer" on Google. When he clicked on the tabloid's website, he was shocked by the breaking news story.

He saw a picture of Tony in the arms of a tall, muscular man. His lover's arms were wrapped around the unidentified man's neck and he was smiling. "Is Playboy Tony Stark Cheating on Captain America?" the headline read. Steve didn't even read the story; he just closed the laptop and sat at the table, looking off blankly into the distance. He was still for a few moments, feeling completely numb inside. Steve believed deep in his heart that Tony had changed, but the photo made him question his loyalty and faith in the genius. The super-soldier realized that tabloids didn't always tell the truth and photos could be doctored, but with Tony's history he couldn't put it completely past him. After a few minutes, he slowly walked into the living room and looked out the window.

_I don't even know what to do anymore. I love Tony more than I've ever loved anyone in my life, but nothing ever seems to come out right. I know he's emotionally traumatized right now, but maybe he just doesn't feel the way I do. Maybe he just told me he loved me because he felt pressured. Maybe he just likes the idea of being with Captain America and not me. Maybe we just shouldn't be together at all… I don't know if he's worth all of this pain anymore. I wish I knew what to do… _Steve thought to himself as he sat down on the floor and stared out at the city below him.

Steve sat by the window the whole day, only getting up once to grab his sketchbook and some expensive colored pencils that Tony had given to him as a random "I love you" gift (if Tony really did love him anyway). Steve sighed at the cynical thought and worked on his drawing in hope that it would take his mind off of his boyfriend's alleged affair. He sketched the cityscape he saw in front of him, but when Steve looked at the finished product he noticed that Iron Man had found its way into the picture. Frustrated, the super-soldier ripped the picture out of his sketchbook and crumpled it up, tossing it behind him. In every sketch Steve drew, Tony would always manage to find a place in it. It reminded Steve of when he first began to develop feelings for the smaller man and constantly drew Tony's face from memory. It confused and angered Steve that he couldn't just shut his brain off and focus on something that didn't cause him pain and suffering.

After he watched the sunset, Steve packed up his sketchbook and colored pencils and walked out of the living room, leaving over a dozen pieces of paper scattered across the floor. He was too tired to care about the mess he made. As he lay in bed, waiting for sleep to come, Steve continued to contemplate whether or not he could stay committed to Tony if the rumors were actually true, or if he even wanted to remain in a relationship with the billionaire if the rumors were false. He didn't know if love was worth all of the anguish, and he desperately wanted answers. Right when Steve was about to drift off to sleep, he had an epiphany.

"Jarvis? Are there any churches within walking distance?" Steve asked, his voice filled with hope.

"Yes, Captain Rogers. There is one located approximately fifteen minutes away. Does the denomination matter to you, sir?" Jarvis asked.

"No, that's not important. When is the service tomorrow?" Steve questioned.

"It is at ten in the morning," the A.I. replied.

"Make sure I wake up in time, Jarvis. I haven't been to church in decades, and I think it's time I reconnect with God," Steve stated.

"Yes sir," Jarvis replied as he made a note to wake up the super-soldier in the morning.

Filled with hope that attending church would help him find the answer to his question, Steve fell into a deep sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Pepper almost dropped the box of donuts she brought for Tony when she walked into his hotel room. The glass from the large window facing the city was completely shattered and her best friend was sitting in the corner in his Iron Man suit, shaking. This is the first time she saw him since he left for Los Angeles, and it made her heart sink to see him in this condition. The redhead calmly walked over to Tony and knelt down, setting the box of donuts aside and putting her hand on his left cheek. She could already see the scar tissue forming, and she wondered if it made the genius self-conscious.

"Oh Tony," was all Pepper managed to say, her voice filled with sadness.

"Yeah, I know I look like complete and utter shit right now. It's been a long couple of weeks… Ooh you brought the donuts!" Tony exclaimed, trying to turn the attention away from himself.

He quickly grabbed one and shoved it in his mouth, happy to finally get some food in his stomach.

"God you're even missing a tooth! Do you want me to schedule an appointment with an orthodontist for you so you can get a replacement?" his friend blurted out, not realizing that she had said it aloud.

"Thanks for reminding me, Pep. Honestly that's the last thing on my mind right now, I'll have you schedule an appointment after the trial," Tony replied, his mouth stuffed with another donut.

Pepper got up and grabbed a chair from the desk in his hotel room and brought it next to the billionaire. She sat down and watched him silently as he finished the last of the six donuts she brought for him. When he chewed and swallowed his last bite, he looked up at her, unsure of what to say.

"Why are you staring at me? I know I'm still gorgeous and a bit mysterious because of the cuts on my face, but you're really starting to creep me out here," Tony quipped, trying to ease the tension in the room.

"Well, I would like to know why you called me here. I know it wasn't just about the donuts…" Pepper replied, ignoring the billionaire's sassy comment.

"How do you know that isn't all I wanted? I could have just been in the mood for them and I figured you would bring them to me. I didn't feel like going out there by myself!" Tony answered, trying to hide the sorrow in his voice.

"That's a complete load of shit, Tony. I know you only call me if you really need me, and wanting sweets really does not constitute an emergency… Talk to me, Tony, I'm not playing around," Pepper said, irritated that the billionaire was trying to skirt the issue.

"Fine, fine. Yes that's why I called you here; I need someone to talk to. Cap and I haven't exactly been getting along…" Tony replied with a sigh.

"I figured this was about Steve. Let me guess, he was too worried about you after the kidnapping and you got pissed off and came here," Pepper said, confident that she was correct.

"You're kind of right, but Steve went crazy! He took me up to our bedroom and wanted to know what Taskmaster did to me. Well I told Capsicle, and he snapped! He got on top of me, telling me that I was his and only his and some other possessive shit… It was really scary though, the guy looked like he was going to Hulk out on me," Tony said, the thought of it making him shiver.

"Can you really blame him? Someone took you away and abused you and he didn't get there in time to prevent it! Of course he's going to be angry when he hears the details… And you know Steve would never 'Hulk out' on you. That man would never hurt you and you know it," Pepper scolded.

The genius tried to speak when she cut him off.

"Now tell me, did you just have this fight or has it been awhile?" Pepper asked, her voice returning to a calm tone.

"What day is it?" Tony asked, to which the redhead answered Saturday.

"Hmm. Well I guess I kicked him out of our room Sunday night. Then I was in a drunken stupor for three days, the fourth day Steve had to take care of me and yesterday I came here… Shit it's really been that long?" Tony said, surprised that he had been acting like a diva for almost an entire week.

"Are you really that traumatized from the kidnapping that you think pushing away Steve is going to keep you safe? I wish you would set your pride aside and let him help you cope with your feelings. He's not a threat to your independence, Tony; all he wants to do is help you heal. Steve loves you," Pepper replied, taking Tony's hands in hers.

Even though the billionaire couldn't feel Pepper's hands because of the suit, it still comforted him and helped put him at ease.

"I guess you're right, Pep, I did overreact just a little bit…" Tony said quietly.

"Overreacted a little? I'd say that's the understatement of the century… And why are you in your suit?" Pepper questioned, curiosity laced in her voice.

"Listen, this conversation has really enlightened me and I know I screwed up. Let's call it a night," Tony replied, quickly getting up.

He started to walk towards the bed, but Pepper grabbed his hand and turned him around so he would look her in the eyes.

"No, you're not getting out of this. The window's smashed and you're wearing your Iron Man suit. What kind of trouble did you get yourself into this time?" Pepper sighed, tired of dealing with Tony's evasiveness.

"I kind of… Got drunk and brought someone who looked like Steve to the hotel. It turns out he was a total imposter and makes his living as a stripper. I guess he pretends to be Captain America in his show and women go crazy for it…" Tony stammered out.

"You slept with Captain Assvenger? Who I've never heard of before…" Pepper replied, trying to cover up her slip.

"NO, I didn't sleep with him. The moment I kissed him I realized it wasn't Steve and I pushed him away. He got mad, threatened me and I called for my suit. It scared him off. I wasn't going to let anyone hurt me again…" Tony said, his voice trembling.

He thought back to the stripper's threat: _I came up here with the goal of fucking Iron Man, and I'm going to succeed whether you want it or not! _It made him feel sick to his stomach to think about it.

"This is serious Tony, you don't need to lie to me. I find it hard to believe that you didn't have sex with that guy…" Pepper said, looking at him suspiciously.

"Honest to the God that Steve worships I didn't! I would never in a million years cheat on my Capsicle! I mean I'd be pissed if someone touched him, since he's mine, and I could only imagine how hurt he'd be if I went and fucked someone else…" Tony replied, turning away from the redhead.

"And you complained about Steve claiming you as his property?" Pepper said with a smirk.

"Shit…" was all Tony was able to say, finally realizing that not only was he was just as possessive as Steve, but that the super-soldier had changed him for the better.

"You finally get it. Good. Now I'm going to leave you here to let it sink in. If you need anything else just give me a call," Pepper said, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

The genius sat still for a brief moment until the thought of Pepper shoving singles into a male stripper's G-string crept into his mind.

"Wait! You didn't tell me how you know who Captain Assvenger is! I must have details!" Tony called out, but Pepper ignored him.

She walked out the door, and Tony was left all alone in the hotel room.


	18. Chapter 18

Tony stood silently in the middle of the room for a moment, letting Pepper's enlightening words sink in. The billionaire knew he was always quick to find the faults in others, but he never really thought about his own because his ego always prevented him from doing so. Out of all the people Tony had ever known in his life, she was the only one who could cut him down to size. Whenever she critiqued him or pointed out his fallacies in logic, Tony knew she was right and took her words to heart. The genius was grateful for all of the times the redhead talked to him in the middle of the night and put him in his place. It meant a lot to Tony that she stayed in his life even after all of the pain and hurt he caused her, and he wished he was more appreciative from time to time.

_I really need to thank her more often. I think I'll send her some tickets to a Chippendale's show; I know she'd like that… _Tony thought to himself as a smirk developed on his face.

After all that had taken place last night, Tony was physically and emotionally exhausted. He looked over at the digital clock on the nightstand next to the bed; it was five 'o' clock in the morning.

_I guess I'll get some sleep. Maybe I'll figure out how to make it up to Steve and get him to forgive me… _Tony thought to himself as he stripped off his Iron Man armor and the sweat soaked clothes he wore to the nightclub.

Now completely naked, the genius got into the bed and slid underneath the covers. The sheets were cold and stiff, and it made him long for the heat that always radiated from Steve's serum-enhanced body. Tony loved being wrapped in the super-soldier's arms, the warmth spread evenly throughout every part of his body. The genius imagined his hands wandering down to Steve's pajama bottoms, unbuttoning them and setting the blonde's cock free. Tony visualized Steve's face twisting in pleasure as he worked his hand up and down the super-soldier's length, using his pre-come as lubricant. He could see the super-soldier writhing in the sheets, his face turning beat red as Tony increased his speed. He could almost hear his lover's loud moans and heavy breathing as Tony brought him to climax, releasing his semen all over the genius' hand. Without realizing it, Tony's right hand worked its way down to his own dick, jacking himself in quick, hard strokes. He imagined Steve returning the favor, slowly working his way under the covers to take Tony's cock in his mouth. The image drove the genius over the edge, and he moaned Steve's name as he came in the sheets. Tony's post-orgasm bliss lulled him to sleep, the thoughts of their fight slowly drifting away.

Tony woke up around three in the afternoon, still feeling tired. He let out a loud yawn, covering his mouth with his hand as he did so. After a few minutes, the genius crawled out of bed and shuffled over to the large window. He noticed that the window had been replaced and that the shattered glass that littered the floor had been cleaned up. Feeling a little unsettled by the fact that someone had come into his room and fixed the window without even waking him up, he called the front desk.

"Hello Mr. Stark. What do you need?" a soft-spoken woman at the front desk asked politely.

"Well I just woke up and I noticed that the window's fixed. I mean, I get that it's not exactly a good idea to leave that big of an area open to the elements, but I'm a little freaked out by the fact that no one woke me up…" Tony said, his voice laced with confusion.

"Miss Potts notified us about the damage to your room, and management decided to make repairs immediately. No one woke you up and asked you to vacate your room until the work was finished?" the clerk questioned.

"No… Well I'm ready to check out. I'll be down in the lobby in a few minutes," Tony answered and quickly hung up.

_Fuck I hope there weren't any creeps in here… You never know what kind of people do maintenance. Guess I better get dressed and head out, I'm not staying in this shitty place another minute, _Tony thought to himself as he walked to the crumpled heap of clothes that were in the middle of the room.

He put on the red undershirt and blazer, and went to put on his underwear when he realized it was no longer there. Tony realized whoever repaired his room took them, and he shuddered with disgust. He quickly put on his pants and shoved the rest of his things in the small bag he brought with him. Tony was about to head out the door when he remembered his Mark VII armor was in the room still, returned to its rocket shape. Feeling too tired to carry both his bag and suit back to the tower, the billionaire decided to call Happy and have him pick him up.

Several minutes later, Tony was in the comfort of his limousine, relieved that he was out of the hotel. He wanted to go home, but he wasn't ready to face Steve just yet.

"Jarvis?" Tony called out in the limo. The A.I. was connected to the vast majority of things that the genius used, and it made life much easier for him.

"Where is Steve in the tower? And will I be able to sneak into my lab without him hearing?" Tony asked.

"He is in the living room, Master Stark. Your lab is several stories below it, so he will not hear you come in," Jarvis responded.

_Even though Steve has that ridiculous super-hearing, Jarvis is right. I should be able to make it to my lab without a hitch. But then again, if he hears me we're going to have to talk about all of this and I really don't want to… Eh I'll take the risk, I'm sick of _

"Happy, take me back to the tower," Tony directed.

"Sure thing!" Happy replied as he drove the billionaire back to the tower he called home.

As soon as the two arrived at the tower, Tony quickly hopped out of the limo and scurried toward the house.

"Thanks Happy! Tell Pepper to give you a raise," he said just before he entered the tower.

Tony quietly made his way to his lab, taking care not to make a sound. He didn't want Steve to know he was back home just yet. As soon as he arrived at his lab, he swiftly opened the door and closed it behind him. He sat down on a stool by his workbench, looking at the tools and Mark VIII schematics that were littered all over its surface. Tony had no inspiration to work on any of his projects; his mind was completely focused on Steve. Realizing that he wasn't going to get any work done, the genius got up and began to pace back and forth around the room, trying to figure out how to end their fight.

_Tomorrow morning I could just walk into the house like nothing happened… That's worked on other people before. Then again it's Steve I'm talking about here; he doesn't just shrug things off like that. I could buy him some new art supplies and punching bags and write an "I'm sorry" note on them… Nah I already bought him those things. I could get on my knees and grovel for forgiveness and ask him to punish me… Wait where in the hell did that come from? Why does this have to be so fucking hard? _Tony thought to himself, frustrating himself.

The genius walked around his lab for hours, unable to come up with any solution to his dilemma. He wore himself out from racking his brain too much, and he plopped back down on the stool. He imagined it was getting late, but since his lab had no windows he wasn't really sure.

"Hey Jarvis, what time is it?" Tony asked, frustration lingering in his voice.

"It's midnight, sir," the A.I. replied.

"Is Steve asleep yet?"

"Yes, he is in a deep sleep Master Stark," Jarvis responded.

"Thanks, you're awesome," Tony stated with a smile. The genius felt that he owed himself infinite pats on the back for creating the A.I.

_Hmm… I could go up there and fall asleep next to Cap and hope he doesn't wake up. But if he does, I'll probably get my ass kicked because I'll scare him. Or he'll just push me out of the bed and ask me what I'm doing back in the tower… Fuck it, I'm just going to go for it. Even if it's only a few minutes of comfort I'll take that over being miserable down in my lab any day, _Tony thought to himself as he made his way to their bedroom.

He carefully opened their bedroom door and tip-toed his way in, taking care not to make any noises. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he focused them on Steve, who was fast asleep, snoring quietly. Tony always thought Steve looked beautiful when he slept; his shiny blonde hair was in his face, his lips were slightly parted and he was on his side facing Tony's side of the bed. He noticed that the super-soldier was holding his pillow to his chest, and it made him long to be in its place.

Tony slowly sauntered over to the closet, taking off his filthy club clothes. He placed his left hand over the arc-reactor so it wouldn't light up the room and grabbed a black wife beater from a pile on the floor of the closet with the other and put it on. The fabric was a thick material, preventing the arc-reactor from lighting up the darkness. He then put on a pair of grey boxer-briefs, taking his time so he wouldn't make too much noise.

After he got dressed, the genius walked silently to their bed, where Steve was fast asleep. Tony slid under the covers, taking great care not to disturb the larger man. He gently took the pillow out of his boyfriend's hands with ease, as the blonde's grip had loosened on it during sleep. The smaller man replaced the pillow with his own body, and soon he was wrapped up in Steve's muscular arms.

_You know what? I could totally be a spy. Clint and Natasha only make it seem like it's difficult to sneak behind enemy lines… Well Steve's not an enemy, but still. That was a pretty impressive move on my part. Now time to get some well-deserved sleep…_

Tony's thoughts immediately left his head when he felt one of Steve's large hands swiftly press against his throat.


	19. Chapter 19

Steve's grip on Tony's neck tightened, and soon the smaller man was unable to breathe.

"Steve, it's me for God's sake!" Tony tried to say, but it only came out as a gurgling noise.

Before the genius knew what was happening, Steve lifted him up and slammed his face against the metal headboard, breaking his nose. The impact was so powerful that his eyes and nose began to swell and blacken immediately, and blood was gushing all over the pillows and sheets.

"Fuck, fuck, fucking fuck! Jarvis, lights!" Tony wailed out in pain as the lights flickered on.

Steve instantly snapped back into consciousness and realized that it was Tony in the bed. His super-soldier instincts kicked in while he was asleep, as he didn't expect anyone to come into the tower, especially that late at night. He assumed that it would be several more days before his lover came home, as the he knew how dramatic the billionaire could be. When Steve saw the pain he inflicted on his boyfriend, he wasted no time and rushed to the kitchen to get ice and a dish towel to clean Tony up.

"I swear I didn't know it was you! I'm so sorry! Let me clean you up," Steve stammered out as he scrambled onto the bed.

Tony was hunched over on the edge of his side of the bed, holding his head in his hands. Blood was dripping out of the cracks of his fingers, which were tightly pressed together. His head throbbed from the intense pain, and he was worried he had a concussion. He could barely see out of his eyes due to the swelling, and when Steve touched him on the shoulder he flinched.

"Let me see your face. I've brought some ice to reduce the swelling and a towel to clean you up," Steve said in a serious tone as he gently moved Tony's bloody hands out of the way and handed his boyfriend the supplies.

Steve was shocked at how puffy and swollen his face became in such a short period of time. Unfortunately the genius' nose was bent a little to the left because of the break, making his face look even more battered, as if that was even possible. Steve was disgusted and angry with himself for what he did, even though it was completely by accident. He wanted to hold Tony in his arms and coddle to him, but Tony was a grown man and it was the last thing he needed right now.

"What in the hell did I do to deserve this? Is everyone out to ruin my face? Because the abuse it's taking is really getting old…" Tony remarked in a rude tone.

"You're going to be just fine. I'll call one of your doctors to come out and set your nose back in place," Steve replied calmly, ignoring his lover's attitude.

"Get me a mirror, Steve. I want to see just how mangled my face is before my eyes swell shut completely…" Tony said coldly as he looked Steve in the eyes.

"Uh, sure. Hold on a second," Steve hesitated as he spoke the words.

He slowly walked to the bathroom and grabbed a hand-held mirror, taking his time to bring it to his lover. Steve didn't want him to see how black and blue his face had become, especially because it was his fault. He knew in the pit of his stomach that it was going to cause another fight.

"H-here you go, Tony. Are you sure you want to look?" the super-soldier asked nervously.

Tony snatched the mirror out of his hand and inspected his face carefully. He placed his right hand on his face, wincing in pain when he touched the tender flesh. When he saw the damage that Steve had inflicted, he was reminded of the torture Taskmaster inflicted on him. The thought made him fly into a blind rage and he quickly got up off of the bed, letting the towel, now soaked in blood, fall to the floor. The genius swiftly grabbed Steve by his blonde locks and shoved him face first against the wall.

"Tony, what's gotten into you! Let go of me!" Steve cried out as his boyfriend twisted his bloody fingers in his hair, yanking hard.

"You did this on purpose you son of a bitch! I show up to cuddle with you and forget about this whole mess and then you do this? Unbe-fucking-lievable!" Tony growled into Steve's ear.

"I can't believe you would think I would do something this terrible on purpose! You know you shouldn't sneak up on a soldier while he's sleeping; we're trained to react, and I thought you were a stranger. What I did was an accident, but look what you're doing to me right now. You're grabbing me with the intent to cause pain," Steve replied, gritting his teeth from the sting of having his hair pulled.

"How can I really know it was an accident? Everyone has been out to get me my whole life, and after Taskmaster mind-fucked me I don't even know what to think anymore… I came here to make up and then this happens! God this all just needs to end!" Tony sobbed as he released his grip on Steve's blonde hair.

Tony slowly walked back to the bed and sat down, the mattress sinking under his weight. His nose stopped bleeding, but the evidence was still on his face and shirt, drying slowly. He began to cry tears of frustration, as he was angry at himself for not being able to suppress the memories of torture. He desperately wanted to move on, fix things with Steve and have their lives go back to normal, but it seemed like a goal that was impossible to reach.

Steve slowly strolled over to Tony, and sank down to the floor in front of him. He looked up into Tony's eyes, which were almost swollen shut. He gently took the smaller man's hands in his and kissed them softly, not paying attention to the drying blood that was caked on them.

"Tony, it's okay to be in pain. After what you went through, I can understand why you've freaked out on me lately. You've been through so much, and if you came out completely unscathed I would be shocked. I can relate to your feelings better than you will ever know…" Steve's voice trailed off, though he did not take his eyes off of Tony.

"How could you possibly know what it's like? You're such a strong person and you're pretty much a poster-child for perfection. There is no way in fuck you can understand. You're Captain fucking America, perfect in all ways. You know how to push past the tough times, and I really don't see you freaking out about all the horrible shit that happened in your past," Tony hissed, freeing his hands from Steve's. He promptly folded his arms against his chest and looked away from the larger man, letting out a long sigh as he did so.

"Just because I'm good at keeping everything to myself doesn't mean that I'm not struggling, Tony. I tuck it all inside because I have to be a leader and keep everyone together. If I falter, then we all will. When I'm alone, though, I have breakdowns. You know when you left me here the other day I had a flashback and panicked," Steve replied, his voice calm and even.

"You did? What happened?" Tony questioned as he returned his gaze to his kneeling lover.

"I took a bath in hope that it would relax me, but when I put my head under the water to wash out my hair I thought back to when I had to submerge the plane. I quickly got out of the tub and laid down on the bed, and I really wished you were here to comfort me. I had Jarvis play a Black Sabbath song because it made me think about you and all of the love you've given to me. It helped a lot," Steve said sincerely, smiling tenderly at Tony.

"How in the hell could I have possibly helped you? I've done nothing but fuck everything up, but I still make you happy? That doesn't make any sense. Honestly I don't understand what you see in me, Steve. I'm a complete mess…" Tony mumbled, unable to look his boyfriend in the eyes any longer.

"You may have issues, but so do I. No one is perfect, Tony. I know I'm certainly not. You just don't always know how to handle your emotions. Instead of facing things head on with me, you've been evasive. I want you to tell me everything that you're feeling. You know how I feel about you, but I want to know how you feel about me. Tell me," the super-soldier directed in a soft voice.

Tony swallowed hard and began to shake a little after the request left Steve's lips. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he was afraid to share them. The genius knew there was no other way to fix things unless he opened up to Steve, so he let the words flow out of his mouth.

"Steve, I love you. My whole life I've felt like I've had something to prove to people. I never was given much love growing up, and I used random sex with strangers to try and fill the void in my heart. And you know what? It never fucking worked. Everyone just wanted to fuck me because I was rich and famous, not because of the person I am. No one wanted to get to know the real me; they only cared about getting in my pants and seeing their name in the tabloids with mine. I was so lonely, Steve. Even Pepper couldn't make me happy. I wanted to make things work with her because she's the best friend I've ever had, but there was nothing between us. Then I met you. You make me feel alive, Steve, and the last time I felt that way was when I first started using Iron Man to protect people. I'm sorry that I try to push you away, it's just a defense mechanism to keep me from opening up, at least that's what Pepper tells me anyway…" Tony responded, his voice quivering.

Steve gently pressed a kiss to Tony's lips, taking extra care not to hurt him any further.

"I needed that, Tony. I really don't know what I'd do without you. I missed you so much when you were gone," Steve whispered as he kissed his lover tenderly.

"I missed you too, Steve. Now can you please have the doctor come? My whole face feels like it's broken," Tony quipped as a grin formed on his face.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. And you and I need to have a little discussion later about an article I saw on 'The National Enquirer'…" Steve said after he asked Jarvis to call Tony's physician.

_Dammit… I was hoping this issue wouldn't come up. Things were going so well. Fucking peachy, _Tony thought to himself as a frown formed on his face.


	20. Chapter 20

Even though Tony would have preferred to wait until the morning to discuss the issue, he knew it was best to just get it over with. He needed to prove to Steve that he was capable of talking things through the moment they came up instead of simply evading them.

"Steve, I honestly didn't do anything with him! I was incredibly drunk and I thought he was you! It turns out he's a stripper that acts like you. His name's Captain Assvenger… If you don't believe me ask Pepper! Hey you know we should all go to his show sometime!" Tony joked, hiding his fear that Steve wouldn't believe him.

"Hmm… That sounds fishy to me. I really can't see someone parading around as me, especially in an adult entertainment setting," Steve replied, his eyebrows knitted together with uncertainty and his mouth set in a small frown.

Without hesitating, Tony grabbed Steve by the arm and tossed him on the bed. He grabbed a tablet that was sitting on the nightstand next to their bed and curled up beside his boyfriend. The genius searched Google for Captain Assvenger, found the stripper's website then showed it to Steve.

"Well I guess you're right… He does look like me. But with your history I don't know if I can believe you. You said yourself that you use sex with strangers to try and make yourself feel better. There is no reason why I should even be seeing a picture of you with another man… I wanted to believe the picture was doctored so badly, but that would have been too good to be true," Steve sighed, sadness lingering in his voice.

Tony sat up and swiftly crawled on top of Steve, straddling him. He looked down at the super-soldier, who couldn't even find it in himself to return Tony's gaze. Tony gently cradled Steve's face with his hands as he leaned in close. The genius wanted to kiss his lover and make him forget all about the mistake, but he knew that wasn't going to work. Steve was far too intelligent to simply forget about such a serious issue with a passionate make-out session.

"Listen, Steve. I was really drunk, and when I saw him across the room I thought it was you coming to get me. I thought you had Jarvis give you my coordinates so you could find me. I guess I just missed you so much that I didn't look closely enough at his face until we got to the hotel…" Tony whispered, a look of terror set on his face.

"What did you do with him, Tony?" Steve questioned, his voice seeping with jealousy.

"I-I kissed him… That's all. His lips were all chapped and dry, and it was disgusting. It was only a quick kiss, and the moment his lips touched mine I knew it wasn't you. The moment I realized that the son of a bitch was an imposter I backed away. He tried to coerce me, but I called my Iron Man suit to me so I could protect myself and scare him away," Tony answered, feeling guilty and ashamed.

"You still kissed him, Tony. In my book that's cheating, whether you agree with me or not. If you were so drunk, how do you really know what you did with him? You could have had relations with him and called your suit afterwards or something. When you're drunk you do a lot of questionable things…" Steve replied, upset and hurt by Tony's confession.

"I definitely disagree with your definition of cheating, but that's beside the point. Look, I simply mistook him for you. It was just a mistake. And I swear on your God that I didn't fuck him. There is no way in hell I would ever do that to you, I love you way too fucking much to hurt you like that…" Tony said as he ran his hands through his hair, turning it into a wavy mess.

"Well you sure have hurt me this past week. You've put me through a lot of pain and suffering, and I thought our fight was completely my fault. But now I'm just thinking that maybe you're just too troubled to handle a relationship right now, maybe forever. Sure, I believe you when you tell me you love me, and you know I love you more than anything else in my life, but maybe we just aren't meant to be together…" Steve's choked out, his eyes welling with tears.

Tony slowly changed positions and laid flat on top of Steve, wrapping his arms around the super-soldier's neck. The two men's bodies were pressed closely together, clothing being the only thing in the way of them completely touching. He brought his face so close to his boyfriend's that their noses touched. Tony gently wiped away Steve's tears as he fought back his own.

"Steve, we ARE meant to be together. I am working on my issues, and my life has so much more meaning because you're in it. I have changed a lot for you, and just because I freaked out a little and didn't want you around for a few days doesn't mean shit. You know, before you I would have fucked that stripper and not even cared. Now I could never imagine doing such a fucked up thing. I never, and I repeat never, would have went near him if I didn't sincerely believe it was you. I'm not too screwed up to handle commitment, Steve. If I thought I was I definitely wouldn't have told you I wanted to be in a relationship. I would have just fucked you and went on with my life, and you know that just as well as everyone else. Please just believe me that this was a mistake! Just have some faith in me, Steve. No one else ever has!" Tony blurted out in frustration as he moved back into the straddling position.

"Tony, I want to believe you, I really do. I just don't know if you really are sorry for what you did. You kissed someone that wasn't me, and I know how much you enjoy 'fonduing'…" Steve said as he looked up at Tony's battered and bruised face, still seeing the beauty in it.

_Fine. If Steve wants an apology, then he's going to get a dramatic, over-the-top apology. Sure it'll be sincere because I do feel bad, but fuck it. I may as well make this a show… Maybe it'll make him forget all about this "we're not meant for each other" horseshit, _Tony thought to himself as a determined look formed on his face.

"Steve, please forgive me! You're the best fucking thing I've ever had, and one of the few people who really even has taken the time to get to know me. You don't care about my wealth, my fame, or how amazing I am in bed. You care about me, and I don't want to lose that. Believe me, Steve, no one makes me feel as incredible as you do, and after having sex with you I could never even fantasize about being with anyone else. You honestly can't be compared to anyone, because you're too damn perfect, Cap. That kiss was fucking terrible, that man was fucking terrible, and you know what I'm pretty fucking terrible too. Please, just forgive me, already, I'll do anything!" Tony yelled out, pressing his palms together as if he was praying.

Steve shifted a little underneath Tony's weight, and he began to blush, his face turning almost scarlet. The genius immediately realized that Steve had a raging erection, and it was pressed against his perineum.

_Seems like the ole' Capsicle has a kink for me acting submissive… This is definitely NOT what I expected to happen, but I think this is going to be better. He'll get all of his aggression out, and then we can forget all about this mess, _Tony thought to himself, unable to hide the look of surprise on his face.

"I, uh, I'm sorry about that… I don't know why…" Steve began to say, but he was cut off as Tony pressed their lips together.

Tony moaned as their tongues twisted around inside of his mouth, moving swiftly and hungrily. Steve grew even harder, to Tony's surprise, and soon he felt the super-soldier's large hands on his back. Without breaking their kiss, Steve pulled Tony's shirt off, ripping it in half in the process.

"Goddamn you're feisty Steve…" Tony moaned as he felt Steve's calloused hands work their way under his boxers, gripping tightly onto his ass.

Steve gave his ass several hard, painful slaps, causing Tony to groan in pain and pleasure. The possessive look Steve had when Tony told him about the abuse he suffered at the hands of Taskmaster reappeared in his eyes. Instead of scaring the billionaire like it did last week, it turned him on. He wanted Steve to take ownership of him and make him feel like he was loved and wanted, even if the love he received was rough and verging on the brink of violent.

"Punish me, Steve. I know you want to put me in my place. I can see it in your eyes. Teach me a lesson," Tony hissed as his lover dug his fingernails into the flesh on his ass, which was becoming tender from the spankings.

The words added fuel to the fire that the super-soldier never knew was inside of him, and without thinking he pushed Tony off of him and onto the floor. He quickly got up off of the bed and towered above his lover, who was lying flat on his back on the floor.

"Get on your knees," Steve commanded with a blank military expression on his face.

Tony quickly pulled himself up and assumed the position, his face just inches away from Steve's cock, still covered by white and blue striped pajama bottoms. The genius desperately wanted to reach out and free his lover's dick from its cotton prison, but he didn't want to do anything without Steve's command.

"What do you want to do, Tony?" Steve asked, grabbing Tony by the hair, forcing him to look into his eyes.

"I want to suck your cock, sir," Tony replied, a little surprised by the rough treatment.

"Why would I want a slut like you to take care of my needs?" Steve questioned with a twisted smirk.

"Because I'm the only one who knows how to do it right," Tony responded, flashing his lover a small grin.

"Prove it," the super-soldier said as he yanked off his pajamas, releasing his thick, throbbing cock.

Without warning, Steve grabbed Tony by the hair and forced his mouth onto his cock, making the smaller man take his entire length in his throat. Tony began to gag, but he loved the way Steve felt and tasted. He enjoyed being treated this way, and the thought scared and aroused him at the same time.

For several minutes, the super-soldier face-fucked Tony, pulling out of his lover's mouth every few seconds so the smaller man could breathe.

"Damn your mouth feels good, you little whore… No wonder everyone wants to experience it," Steve moaned before forcing Tony's mouth off of his cock.

Tony, not wanting to stop blowing his lover, went to reach for Steve's cock. The blonde was too fast, however, and moved out of the way.

"Now, now, don't be so eager. I know you're a great cock-sucker, but now I want to know how well you fuck. Do you want me inside of you, you trashy little cunt?" Steve hissed as he walked to the dresser.

"Yes, please, Steve! Don't make me wait anymore!" Tony cried out, his face a wet, sloppy mess covered in saliva and precome.

Steve grabbed a bottle of lube and a condom from the drawer, and slowly walked back over to Tony, grinning sadistically.

"Put the condom on for me," Steve commanded as he shoved it into Tony's hands.

"But we never use these. Ever. Why do we need one now?" the genius asked, puzzled as he opened the packaging and put it on Steve's huge cock.

"Well, whores can carry more diseases than I care to count, and I really don't want to take the risk of catching one," the larger man answered, his voice tinged with mistrust as he spread lube on his fingers.

_God I can't believe he fucking said that… Is he just role-playing or is that how he really feels? _Tony thought to himself, looking up at Steve with puppy dog eyes.

"Get on your hands and knees, Tony," the super-soldier directed as he walked behind the smaller man.

"Yes, sir," the genius responded as he followed Steve's orders, moving as quickly as possible into the position.

When Tony was in place, Steve got down on his knees, ripped off Tony's boxers and forcefully shoved two fingers inside of ass.

"Shit, Steve!" the billionaire groaned as his lover roughly pushed his fingers in and out, stretching him out.

"Do you want my forgiveness, Tony?" Steve asked as he removed his fingers and placed his cock head on the genius' hole.

"Yes I do. Please forgive me, I need it!" Tony moaned, pushing his ass on his lover's dick, forcing it inside of his body.

Steve let out a long, deep moan as he pushed his way completely inside of his boyfriend's ass. He gave the smaller man little time to adjust, as he forcefully pulled himself out and slammed back in, causing Tony to let out a gasp.

"You are not to let anyone else touch you ever again. I am the only one who gets to kiss you. I am the only one who gets to have sex with you. I am the only one who gets to LOVE you," Steve howled as he grabbed Tony by the back of the head and pulled him up for long, passionate kiss.

"Yes, Steve…" Tony moaned loudly as he came, semen shooting out all over the carpet. Watching the smaller man lose himself in orgasmic bliss sent Steve over the edge, and he chanted Tony's name as he filled the condom with cum.

The super-soldier gently pulled himself out of Tony's ass and took off the condom, tying it off and throwing it in the trashcan next to their bed. He picked Tony up off of the carpet and carefully set him on the bed and laid next to him. Steve placed his head in his hands and began to sob, disgusted with himself at his sadistic behavior.

"Steve, Steve, why in the hell are you crying?" Tony asked, wrapping his arms around the larger man.

"I don't understand what came over me! I didn't want to say those awful things to you or force myself on you like that… I'm disgusting, depraved, and filthy. This is not how a man is supposed to treat his lover! What have I done!" Steve yelled out as he got off of the bed and hurried into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

"Steve, come on, there was nothing wrong with what happened. You just have a…" Tony was cut off by Jarvis, who announced that the doctor had arrived.

"Tell him I will be down in a minute," the genius said as he walked over to the closet, grabbing a pair of old, worn blue jeans and a black t-shirt. He quickly put them on and left the room, angry and confused by Steve's reaction.


	21. Chapter 21

"Hey, Doc. Thanks for coming out to the tower," Tony said as he peeked in the kitchen.

The doctor was sitting quietly at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee and looking through his bag of medical supplies. He was a short, middle-aged man with a stocky, muscular build. He had light gray hair that was cropped close to his head, and hazel eyes with dark green rings around the irises. The man was wearing a plain black long-sleeve shirt and dark blue jeans, not bothering to wear his doctor's coat because he knew Tony couldn't stand hospital getup. He had provided medical care for Tony several times, the last time being two weeks ago, after he was rescued from Taskmaster's clutches. Often the doctor worked on the genius while he was unconscious, and had to leave for other clients before the man recovered, leaving few chances for the two to communicate.

When the doctor watched the genius stumble into the room, he was shocked by what he saw. Tony looked rough: he was sweaty, his hair was a gnarled mess, and his face was purple, black, and very swollen. It was such a surprise that the doctor gave him a double take.

"Please, Mr. Stark, just call me Martin. I've attended to your care enough times to where you may use my first name, and we're not in a formal hospital setting. Now, take me to your 'hospital room', as you so call it," the doctor said nonchalantly, hiding his surprise with ease.

"Well then don't call me Mr. Stark. That makes me sound like an old man, and let me tell you I've got a few years before then," Tony snarked as he instructed Martin to follow him to the make-shift hospital room.

Tony sat on the bed in the room, and it made him think of all the times he'd managed to get injured in battle. Those were noble reasons to need medical assistance, and Tony was somewhat embarrassed and ashamed that he needed to call the doctor because his boyfriend broke his nose. He was also worried that Martin would think Steve was abusive, not only because of the broken nose but because he had bruises on his body from the rough sex that occurred only moments ago.

He watched as Martin washed his hands and put on some latex-free disposable gloves, taking care not to break them. The doctor walked over to the genius and examined his face, checking to make sure that there were no fractures in any other areas on his face.

"So, Anthony, it is apparent that you have a broken nose, and I'll need to set it back in place. Luckily you haven't sustained any other injuries to your face. Normally you would have to wait several days due to swelling, but luckily I have a shot I can give you that will take down swelling almost instantly. We definitely need this, as the swelling is quite severe," Martin said, opening his bag to get out the materials needed to inject Tony with the anti-inflammatory medication.

"No shit. I look like a plum, and believe me this is not exactly my idea of sexy," Tony sighed as he watched the doctor prepare the shot.

Martin walked over to Tony and administered the shot in the tender flesh on his face near his nose, eliciting a yelp from the genius.

"Jesus that hurt! Of all places, why are you giving me a shot in my face? Are you giving me Botox, because if you are I really don't want to end up looking like Joan Rivers…" Tony quipped as the doctor turned away to carefully dispose the needle in the hazardous materials bin on the wall.

"Well that's how this particular anti-inflammatory works. It is only used in extreme circumstances, but since you're Iron Man my boss wanted to make sure you had the best care. It's of the upmost importance since you're going to want to show the public that you're in good spirits and have healed for the trial next week. Those scars on your left cheek aren't going anywhere, however. I wish there was more I could have done for those when I patched you up two weeks ago," Martin stated, examining the marks on Tony's face.

"As if I didn't already know that, Martin…" Tony scoffed as he averted his gaze from the doctor.

"Now, while we're waiting for the swelling to reduce to a level where I can repair your broken nose, tell me what happened," the doctor said as he took a seat next to the billionaire.

"I snuck into bed while Captain America was asleep, and it startled him. He thought I was an intruder so he slammed my face into the headboard. Not exactly a good idea on my part…" Tony shrugged, a look of indifference appearing on his face.

"This was not a purposeful act of violence, was it, Anthony?" the doctor asked in a neutral tone of voice.

"Fuck no! Steve would never hurt me on purpose; he's the definition of perfect boyfriend. We had a fight, and I left home, so he didn't think that I would be back for a while. For once, getting hurt was actually my own fault," Tony responded, somewhat offended by Martin's question.

"Okay, Anthony. I am just making sure that there was no foul play here. The swelling is down, so I am going to set your nose back in place. I will warn you, this will be painful. Do you want me to give you a shot to numb your nose before I fix it?" the doctor asked as he went to the sink to rewash his hands and put on new gloves.

"No, I've been through worse. Just get this over with, I'm really sick of sitting here. I have other shit to deal with," Tony replied as he crossed his arms.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Martin said as he made his way over to Tony.

The doctor took the heels of his hands and placed them alongside the genius' nose. With a firm push, Martin forced Tony's nose back in place, a loud crunching noise confirming it.

"Uugh!" Tony groaned, wincing from the pain.

"There, now your nose is straight again. I'll bandage it up, give you some painkillers and you'll be just fine!" the doctor beamed, happy with his work.

Martin wiped up the stray blood that was on Tony's face and bandaged his nose up. The swelling was greatly reduced, though the flesh on his face was still bruised dark shades of blue, purple, and black. The doctor offered the billionaire some extra-strength Motrin to help with the pain, but he dismissed it, as he was sick of taking drugs to make him feel better.

"Is there anything else you need, Anthony?" Martin asked as he was packing his bags.

"Uh, just out of curiosity, you wouldn't happen to have anything to test for STD's in that bag, would you?" Tony asked, staring at the floor from his seated position on the bed.

"I actually do a lot of work with soldiers, and you know what kind of trouble some of them get themselves into. I can check you for HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes, and syphilis. I'll just need to get a blood sample, urine sample, saliva sample, and I'll have to do a physical exam. Would you like me to?" the doctor asked with a straight face, showing no emotion.

"Yeah, I'd appreciate it, Martin. How many days will it be until I get my test results back?" Tony questioned, feeling a little ashamed about his request.

"I should have them to you in three days," Martin said as he got out the supplies for the tests.

_Hopefully this will prove to Steve that I didn't cheat on him. I don't know how else to assure him that I didn't do anything wrong. I got tested before we were together, I was clean then and I'm clean now. If this doesn't improve things between us then I don't know what in the fuck will, _Tony thought to himself as Martin drew blood from his arm.

After the doctor left the tower, Tony walked to their bedroom to see if he could coax Steve out of the bathroom. It was four 'o' clock in the morning by this point, and the genius wasn't sure if his lover would still be awake or not.

"Jarvis, is Steve still in the bathroom?" Tony asked the A.I.

"Yes, he is sitting on the floor next to the bathtub, twiddling his thumbs," Jarvis replied.

"Unlock the door for me," Tony commanded as he reached the bathroom.

Jarvis did as he was told, and Tony rushed into the room and sat on the floor next to Steve, who was shocked to see the dramatic change in Tony's appearance.

"Hey, Tony. The doctor did a nice job fixing your nose," Steve said, reaching out to gently stroke his lover's cheek.

"Yeah, Martin's fantastic. You know it was basically the first time I've ever talked to the guy? He's taken care of me quite a few times, and not once have we ever really said more than two words to each other. He's great," Tony replied, smiling at the soft caress of Steve's hand.

"I'm really sorry for how I treated you, Tony. It was wrong of me to be aroused by your apology, and I said some really nasty and disrespectful things. I had absolutely no right to treat you like scum, especially in a sexual setting. After what happened to you, I should have been more gentle and sensitive. I don't know what is making me behave like this when we're intimate. I feel terrible about it all…" Steve sighed, taking his hand off of Tony's face.

"Cap, I think I figured out what your so-called 'dilemma' is. You have a bit of a kink," Tony grinned as he curled up underneath Steve's arm, putting his head on the larger man's chest.

"What? I really don't think that makes any sense…" Steve said, confused.

"Yes it does, just hear me out. You are a person who likes to be in charge and wants to be in complete control. It's obvious on the battlefront, and I don't know how I didn't realize it could translate into other parts of your life. You love me, and you claim me as yours. It just so happens to come out during sexually charged moments. Since you've never fucked anyone before me, how could you have ever known?" Tony replied, smiling up at his boyfriend.

"But people get in trouble for these kinds of behaviors, Tony. Sex isn't supposed to be like this. I'm abusing you when I act on those urges, and I could be put in jail if people found out…" Steve's voiced trailed off as he put his hand over his mouth.

"No, no! As long as it's consensual, everything is alright! I was just a little scared the first time because I was already shaken up and I never saw that side of you before. After I had some time to think and Pepper told me how much of an idiot I am, it clicked. And tonight, when I begged you for forgiveness, which was a little melodramatic but whatever, you just proved my hypothesis to be correct," Tony said, cuddling up closer to the super-soldier.

"So, it's okay that I'm like this?" Steve said, a small smile forming on his face.

"Yes it is, and Steve I fucking love it about you. Well, shit, I just love you in general. We won't rush anything, okay? Everything is going to be just fine," Tony stated matter-of-factly.

"We definitely need to take this slow, I'm still shocked at how I acted, and I think it's going to be a long time before I come to terms with it completely. I love you, Tony, and whatever we have to do to get through our problems, I'll gladly do it," Steve replied, giving Tony a kiss on the forehead.

"Me too, Steve. Me too," Tony added, feeling more relaxed than he had in weeks.

The two drifted off to sleep, still sitting against the wall next to the bathtub, with Tony under Steve's arm, clinging to the super-soldier's chest.

**Note: Doctor Martin is an OC.**


	22. Chapter 22

Tony woke up, feeling refreshed and energized, even though he slept for only a short period of time. He rubbed his eyes and stretched, suddenly realizing that he was no longer cradled in the super-soldier's big, hulking arms. When the genius realized that Steve was no longer in the room, he panicked.

_Maybe he's more upset about this whole "kink" thing than I thought. I really hope that's not why he's gone, because I don't want to deal with this shit again. I thought I made it perfectly clear to him that it was totally fine and awesome… _Tony thought, feeling nervous and anxious.

"Jarvis, what time is it? And where did Steve go?" Tony asked, unable to hide his worry.

"It is ten in the morning, Master Stark. He went to the church down the street," Jarvis replied.

"Did he tell you why?" Tony questioned, afraid that his boyfriend felt the need to repent for his sexual deviancy.

"Last night, before he went to bed, Steve stated that he felt it was time to reconnect with God. If you want to join him, I can give you directions. The service does not end until 11:30, so you will have plenty of time," the A.I responded, his voice sounding almost cheerful.

"Hmm. I don't really believe in anything, and I'll feel really awkward and out of place…But it is important to Steve. I don't know why I didn't remember that he used to go to church on a regular basis… Fuck it, I'll give it a shot," Tony replied, feeling a little hesitant about sitting in a place of worship.

"Okay sir, I will have the directions for you in a moment," Jarvis stated.

Tony quickly brushed his teeth and combed his hair, disgusted by how greasy and messy it was. He didn't have time to take a shower, so he sprayed a copious amount of cologne on to hide the smell of his sweat. The billionaire decided to keep on his black t-shirt and blue jeans, and walked to the closet to grab Steve's dark blue hoodie. It made him feel safe and comfortable, and it smelled like cotton, just like Steve always did. He slowly put the sweatshirt on and pulled the hood over his head, as he did not want to be recognized at the church. The genius simply wanted to observe his boyfriend worshiping God and didn't want Steve to know he was there.

_I'm just going to sit in the back of the church and watch Steve. I'm not sure how he would feel if I intruded on his personal time like that, so I'm hoping that he doesn't see me. It's pretty creepy that I'm going to be observing him like some kind of experiment though... Oh well. Maybe I'll figure out what's so appealing about this so-called "God," _Tony thought to himself as Jarvis gave him directions.

Tony walked inside of the church, and he noticed that it was very small. There were only four rows of pews with an aisle dividing them in half. The benches were made of light brown wood, and the carpet matched the color of the wood used to build the pews. The walls were a soft cream color, and it had large, stained glass windows. The window designs were abstract lines and shapes that were red, yellow, and blue; there were no images of biblical scenes on them. He admired the appearance of the church, though he was taken aback by how small of a congregation it was. He always assumed that churches were loaded with pews and fancy decorations. The room was completely packed with people, so he stood by the doorway. Luckily, no one noticed him, as they were all singing a hymn.

Tony saw Steve at the front of the room, standing behind the podium. He was leading the congregation in song as the minister stood behind him. The billionaire noticed that he was wearing the beautiful navy blue suit that he gave the super-soldier as a gift several weeks ago. It showed off his serum enhanced physique and his perky, muscular ass, which was the main reason why Tony bought the suit for him.

_Damn he looks gorgeous in that suit… But I wonder why he's standing in front of everyone. They must have recognized him and gotten excited. Steve certainly looks happy, _Tony observed as a smile crept up on his face.

Tony watched the super-soldier carefully, listening to the words of the hymn as they came from Steve's lips. He had a beautiful singing voice, much to the genius' surprise. Tony had never heard Steve sing before, and he wondered if his lover would ever sing in front of him.

"Let it be a dance we do. May I have this dance with you? Through the good times and the bad times too, let it be a dance," Steve sang loud and proud as tears streamed down his face.

Tony was in complete awe of the passion and love that radiated from his boyfriend as he sang. Steve was so beautiful, and seeing him so moved by the hymn made his heart melt. In that moment Tony felt thankful for everything that he had, and he began to listen more closely to the lyrics.

"Let the sun shine, let it rain. Share the laughter, bear the pain. And round and round we go again, let it be a dance," Steve belted out as he raised his hands towards the sky.

The billionaire began to cry, touched by how beautiful and powerful the hymn was. The lyrics made him realize just how much he loved and adored Steve. Even though the two of them had hit a rough patch in their relationship and had to work through some deep, painful issues, he knew that there was no one else he'd rather be with. Tony knew there would be times that he and Steve would fight and feel like giving up, but he knew that the love they shared was too strong for them to call it quits. Steve would be his one and only partner in this dance called life, and he was finally ready to completely give his all in their relationship.

As Steve sang the final lyrics of the hymn, he locked eyes with Tony. He was shocked that his boyfriend came to the service, and it made his heart race. Seeing the genius in tears made Steve understand just how much he was loved and appreciated. He knew that Tony was by no means a religious man; he was far from it. But seeing that his lover was able to put that aside and come to a place of worship made the super-soldier realize just how serious Tony was about their commitment to each other

Tony, overwhelmed with emotion, ran down the aisle to Steve, who was waiting with open arms. The two lovers shared a loving embrace and kissed passionately as the members of the congregation cheered them on.

"I love you so much, Steve. Not to sound cheesy or anything, but I want to dance with you forever," Tony said, beaming as he gazed into the super-soldier's sky blue eyes.

"Through the good times and the bad times too?" Steve asked, flashing a toothy grin at his boyfriend.

"Always and forever, Steve," Tony answered, kissing the super-soldier tenderly after the words left his lips.

The two walked down the aisle and out of the church hand in hand, their love shining brighter than ever.

"Mr. Stark and Captain Rogers sure do make an interesting couple…" a portly woman whispered to a tall, slender man sitting next to her in the third row.

"Yes they do, but it sure is beautiful," the thin man said with a big smile as he kissed the heavy set woman on the cheek.

**Note: I will be gone for a week, so I will not be updating for a while. I figured I would leave my story on a happy note until I get back. No cliffhangers this time, woohoo! **


	23. Chapter 23

The past two days had been fantastic for the couple. They spent Sunday afternoon out on the town, going shopping and getting some fondue for lunch. That evening they cuddled on the couch and watched "The Wizard of Oz," one of Steve's favorite movies. The two fell asleep during the film, Steve spooning Tony, who was snuggled up into the super-soldier's sculpted chest.

On Monday, Steve went out for a run while Tony was still passed out on the couch. He came back three hours later, took a shower, and walked down to the kitchen for a snack. To his surprise, Tony made him French toast and eggs for brunch, but they weren't very good, since the genius normally hires people to do it for him. Steve appreciated the effort and ate them anyway, and the two spent the rest of their day making love, only taking breaks to eat and use the bathroom.

Tony felt better than he ever had in his life, and he finally felt that everything had fallen into place. He knew how much Steve loved and needed him, and he never wanted the day to end. Everything seemed perfect, but when Tuesday came, Tony was jarred back to reality.

"Master Stark, you have a phone call," Jarvis said, waking both Steve and Tony up.

"Who in the fuck is it at this ungodly hour? Tell them I'm dead…" Tony grumbled as he nestled in closer to Steve's warm, firm chest.

"It is your doctor, sir. And it is Tuesday at eight in the morning, a perfectly reasonable time for him to call you. I have connected the call to your cell phone," Jarvis responded.

Tony pulled away from Steve and dragged himself out of bed. He snatched his phone up from the nightstand, gave his boyfriend a quick peck on the lips and walked out of the room.

_I hope Tony's okay… I wonder what's going on? He's probably just checking up to make sure that his nose is healing okay. No need to let myself get worked up over this. If something's wrong, Tony will tell me. I have a busy day planned, and I don't need any negative feelings getting in the way, _Steve thought to himself as he got out of bed and walked to the bathroom.

"What the hell do you want, Martin? I thought all of our business was taken care of. I only have a little bruising now and the swelling's non-existent," Tony sighed as he paced around his lab.

"Anthony, you must have forgotten that you asked me to check you for sexually transmitted infections," Martin replied, his voice sounding a little shaky.

"Something's wrong, isn't there? Do I have AIDS or some other horrible disease? It's probably incurable… Now Steve's probably got it too. How am I going to explain this to Steve? He's going to think I cheated on him… Jesus fucking Christ my life is over!" the billionaire wailed as he plopped down on a chair next to his workbench. He grabbed a brown leather jacket Steve had left on the chair and pressed it tightly against his body, pretending his lover was there to comfort him.

"Calm down, Anthony. Your test results came back fine. You have no diseases related to sexual activity. I did, however, find, uh, something interesting," the doctor replied with hesitation.

"Well, what in the fuck are you waiting for, Martin? You just scared me half to death and now you can't even tell me what's wrong! God you are such an asshole, you know that?" Tony sighed heavily as he ran his hand through his hair.

"You and I are going to need to discuss this matter in person. I will contact your driver Happy and have him pick you up in one hour. Be ready, and bring a sample of Captain Rogers' semen with you," Martin responded flatly and hung up the phone.

_What in the fuck does Martin want Steve's jizz for? That doesn't make any sense… I thought this was about me! And how am I supposed to get a sample? Am I supposed to say, "Hey Steve! Can I have you jack off in a cup? Thanks!" Of course not, that would be ridiculous! Well I guess I could have him fuck me and cum in my ass like usual… It wouldn't be suspicious since that's what we always do. But how am I supposed to get it out without it being strange? I can't just put it in a cup as it oozes out… He'll know something's up, and plus that's really fucking disgusting, even for me. I know! I'll just put a butt plug in my ass after he's done screwing my brains out. Then I can just walk there with it all in… Not only will it feel amazing but then Steve will just think I'm into even weirder shit! Perfect! _Tony decided as he tossed Steve's coat back on the chair and quickly ran into the bathroom in the back of his lab.

The genius opened the single drawer underneath the sink and pulled out a small black box. It was filled with several sex toys: a small red butt plug, a pair of handcuffs, a medium sized black butt plug, some cherry flavored condoms, and a double sided dildo. Tony kept toys scattered throughout the house so he was prepared for anything once the mood struck.

_I'm definitely going to need the bigger plug… I have a feeling Steve is going to be really rough today, _Tony thought to himself with a big grin as he walked out of the bathroom and tossed the plug on his workbench.

"Jarvis, tell Steve to come down here," Tony instructed.

"As you wish, Master Stark," Jarvis replied.

When Jarvis told Steve that he was needed in Tony's lab, he quickly took off running. He knew that his boyfriend was careless and hurt himself on a regular basis, so he was scared that something terrible had happened.

"Tony! Tony are you oka…Ooh," the super-soldier's jaw dropped and he stopped dead in his tracks when he opened the door.

Tony was spread eagle on his workbench, wearing nothing but Steve's old leather jacket that had been left in the lab. He was gently stroking his hard cock with his right hand, and teasingly rubbing his left nipple with the other. He was licking his lips seductively, and took his hand away from his nipple to motion "come here" to Steve with his fingers.

It had always been a fantasy of Steve's to plow Tony on his workbench, but he'd always been too shy to ask for it. He knew it was the genius' area for "me time" and he always was afraid that this desire would be too intrusive into Tony's personal space. Now that it was all right before his eyes, Steve could barely contain himself.

He wasted no time getting undressed. The super-soldier ripped off all of his clothes, sending buttons from his plaid shirt flying across the room. He unzipped his pants, let them fall to the floor and quickly stepped out of them. He rushed over to Tony and kissed him furiously as his lust overtook him.

"Mmm, fuck you're so hot when you kiss me like this," Tony moaned as Steve moved to his neck and bit into the soft, tender skin.

"Shut up, Tony. You're going to take all of me in, and you're going to keep your mouth closed," Steve commanded as he pulled away from the smaller man's neck, which was red and beginning to bruise from the bites.

He grabbed a roll of duct-tape, ripped off a strip and slapped it over Tony's mouth. Steve watched his boyfriend squirm with anticipation, a wild look appearing in his eyes.

After the tape was in place, Steve slicked up his cock with spit and quickly shoved it in Tony's asshole. The billionaire's loud groan was muffled by the tape, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"You're such a good boy. I'm going to fill you up with my cum, and you're going to stay completely quiet. I don't want to hear a peep from you. No moans, groans, or cries, understand?" the super-soldier commanded as he pulled out of Tony and slammed himself back in.

Tony nodded, wincing with each powerful thrust of Steve's cock in his ass. He loved to be dominated during sex, and it frustrated him until the super-soldier came into his life. He always wanted to be in complete control in his public life, and didn't take orders from anyone, even on the battlefield. When it came to sex, however, Tony wanted someone to take charge and be in command of him. He liked being treated like shit and thrown aside like trash; that's what all of his other lovers did to him. But Steve was different. Steve would fuck him like the filthy whore he felt he was, but would snuggle with him and coo sweet nothings in his ear afterwards. He wasn't going to leave him after one night, he was there to stay. Seeing his boyfriend begin to accept his own kink made Tony more comfortable with his own desire to be used and abused, and he was thankful that it was going to be a stable thing.

"You've been so good, Tony. I'm going to give you a little reward," Steve growled as he stroked the smaller man's cock with his strong, calloused right hand and grabbed his neck with the other.

Tony thrashed around as Steve pressed down on his throat, making it difficult to breathe. The pressure on his throat aroused and scared him, though he knew that the super-soldier would never hurt him. The lack of oxygen gave Tony a euphoric feeling, and seconds later he came harder than he ever had in his life. His semen splashed all over his belly, creating a sticky mess as Steve pressed his body closer to the genius'.

"I love you, Tony," Steve gasped as his orgasm rippled through him, releasing the warm, salty fluid in his lover's ass.

He slowly slid out of Tony and gently pulled the duct tape off of the smaller man's mouth, taking care not to hurt him.

"Jesus Christ… You need to fuck me like that way more often. I'm glad you're actually embracing your fetish… Took you long enough," Tony said, trying to catch his breath as he grabbed the black butt plug sitting next to him and shoved it in his stretched asshole.

"Uh, Tony? Why did you put that toy in there?" Steve said, puzzled by his boyfriend's action.

"I want to keep your cum inside of me for a while. I have a meeting I have to go to in a few minutes that I completely forgot about, and I just wanted something sexy to think about so I don't fall asleep," Tony replied as he got off of the workbench and headed towards the door.

"Do you have a meeting with your doctor? Is something wrong? Do you need to get surgery or something? I can go with you, if you'd like," Steve said as he put his arms around Tony's waist.

"No, it's not with Martin. I have a meeting with my lawyers because I have my trial next week," Tony lied, feeling ashamed of himself for doing so.

"Well I should really go with you then. This has been a rough time for you and I need to be as supportive as possible. I love you Tony, and I don't want you to go through all of this alone," Steve whispered in his lover's ear and tenderly kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks, but I really want to deal with this alone. I have another appointment with them at the end of this week, and you can go with me then, okay?" Tony said as he turned around to face his lover.

Steve kissed his boyfriend softly on the lips and caressed his face with his left hand, smiling as he did so.

"Okay, if that's what you want to do. I'm going to run some errands today while you're gone. If you need anything or want me to join you, just give me a call," the super-soldier said with a gentle smile.

"Will do, Cap. Good thing I taught you how to use a cell phone otherwise you'd be screwed," Tony joked, hiding his shame from Steve.

"Yeah, I guess I just got lucky to have a genius like you as a boyfriend. Well you need to get dressed, Tony, and so do I. And I really can't wear this shirt anymore," Steve chuckled softly as he picked up his mangled plaid shirt off of the cold floor.

"You could pretend to be the Hulk… Hey we could role-play! Keep that shirt, it'll come in handy," Tony quipped as he walked out of his lab.

When he made it up to the bedroom, Tony felt sick to his stomach. He normally didn't give two shits about lying to people; he'd done it plenty of times before without a hitch. Now, however, it made him feel guilty and undeserving of Steve's love.

_God Steve's changing me… Should I just tell him what's going on? No, even I don't know what's up. How am I supposed to be honest with him when I'm not even sure of anything myself? If he did come with me, how would I explain the tests? He probably wouldn't believe me that I did it to prove to him that I haven't been a cheating bastard after all I've put him through… _Tony thought, though his inner dialogue was cut off by Jarvis.

"Sir, Happy is here to pick you up," the A.I. said.

"Thanks, Jarvis. Tell him I'll be right down," Tony replied as he put on a pair of blue jeans and one of Steve's plain white t-shirts, wanting to feel as if his lover was there with him.

He rushed downstairs and got in the limo, and Happy drove him to the undisclosed clinic. Tony kept thinking about all of the horrible possibilities of what could be wrong with him, terrified that he had some incurable disease.


	24. Chapter 24

When Tony left, Steve took a long, hot shower, styled his hair and put on a white long sleeved button down shirt and brown slacks. After he finished getting ready, he made a phone call.

"Hey, Steve! How are you doing? Is everything okay?" Pepper asked when she answered the phone.

"Yeah, everything is okay this time. I was wondering if maybe you'd be willing to go shopping with me today. I'm not exactly a high fashion kind of guy, and I know Tony likes to have the best of the best, and I know you know his style better than anyone…" Steve rambled, trying to figure out exactly what to say.

"Sure, I'll go with you. I actually have some downtime today, since Tony didn't drop any important paperwork on me. What are you looking to buy for him?" Pepper questioned curiously.

"I would like to tell you in person. How about you meet me at the tower at noon?" Steve asked, hiding his excitement that she was willing to help him.

"Sure thing, Steve. I will see you then!" Pepper responded then promptly hung up.

_I hope she can help me with this… I never thought I'd feel this way about someone in my life. I just hope it doesn't freak Tony out or ruin things between us, _Steve thought to himself as he walked to living room.

He sat down in front of the large window and gazed down at the city in front of him. The area around the window had become his meditation spot; it always calmed him and helped him clear his mind. Steve took in the city for several hours, admiring how much it and the people who inhabited it had changed from the past he left behind. He had come to love the 21st century, and it was all thanks to Tony.

Steve was still meditating when Pepper showed up. She just let herself in, as she knew all of the codes to the building. Jarvis told her where Steve was, and she made her way to the living room. The redhead saw that the super-soldier was perfectly still, sitting Indian style with his eyes closed. Pepper quietly walked over to Steve and sat down next to him. He immediately opened his eyes and turned to face her.

"Deep in thought I see… Are you sure you're ready to take this step yourself?" Pepper asked, putting her hands on Steve's broad shoulders.

"I'm a little scared and nervous, to tell you the truth. But I know in my heart that this is what I want. Tony and I have both been through so much together, and I think it's time to move into a deeper commitment," Steve replied softly, a little shocked that Pepper figured out what he wanted to buy on her own.

"In all of the years I've known Tony, he has never been one to stay committed to, well, anything. I am quite frankly shocked that he was willing to make things official with you in the first place. I have to be honest with you though, Steve. You have only been dating Tony for a month now, and look at all the fights you've had. Are you sure you want to deal with him during all of his bitch fits? That's something that hasn't changed about him…" the redhead's voice trailed off as she thought about all of the things Tony had put her through over the years.

"I know he has issues, Miss Potts, but so do I. If we can get through the emotional damage Taskmaster caused, then we can get through anything. Even though he separated himself from me for a while, I know it was my fault and I triggered his fears again. And sure I'm still a little upset and jealous that he kissed another man, but I know it was a mistake and that he loves me. In the past few days we have worked everything out, and I know that he is what I want more than anything. I need to take out relationship to a deeper place, and I want him to be mine forever," the super-soldier responded confidently.

"Alright, if that's what you want to do, I will support you. Let's get going; I know this is going to take us awhile. And please stop calling me Miss Potts, you know me well enough now that it isn't necessary," Pepper said as she got up off of the floor and headed out the door.

"Sorry, I'm just used to talking to women that way. It's a carry-over from my past," Steve apologized as he walked behind her.

Pepper drove her and Steve to Tiffany and Co, where she had an engagement ring designer waiting just for them.

"How did you know this was what I wanted you to help me shop for? You couldn't have hired this gentleman to wait on us on the way here…" Steve said, surprised by the redhead's intuition.

"I know you only call me for important reasons, and this is honestly one of the few things that are important to shop for. Not only that, but you were concerned about what Tony would think of it, and wanted something classy. You really just gave it away," Pepper responded as she shrugged her shoulders.

The gentlemen helping them was tall and lean, and Steve guessed he was in his late 30s. His hair was medium length and it was beginning to gray in the temples, just like Tony's was. He had light blue eyes and a long pointy nose, something the super-soldier found to be very unattractive. Steve immediately felt guilty that he was checking out a man that was not his boyfriend, and he began to blush again.

"No need to be nervous, Mr. Rogers. I have paid close attention to Mr. Stark's style for years, and I think I know just what you're looking for," the man smiled as he led Steve and Pepper into a small room in the back of the store.

The room was painted a soft cream color, and it had a wood floor the color of chocolate. It was decorated with contemporary paintings, which Steve never understood. There was a small table made from mahogany, and it was covered by a glass case. There were four different rings inside; two were gold and the others were platinum.

"Well, you can already toss out the gold ones. Tony doesn't wear enough that goes with the color. He mostly wears reds, blacks, and grays, so platinum will work best," Pepper blurted out before the two even looked closely at the rings.

"Okay, ma'am, I will show you the silver ones I have picked out then," the jeweler replied, feeling a little disappointed that the rings were not even given a chance.

The ring on the left was a three stone ring with diamonds cut in a lucida shape. The diamonds were small, ensuring that it did not appear to be too feminine. The band was thin, smooth and without any designs.

The ring on the right had a medium sized round diamond in the center. It had a thicker band with a row of small diamonds circling completely around the band. The center diamond did not stick out far from the band. The ring was much more feminine than the one on the left, but Steve was drawn to it.

He had the jeweler get the ring on the right out of the glass case for him. When he carefully inspected it, he noticed that the diamonds had thin red and gold circle designs surrounding them. It reminded him of Tony's Iron Man suit, and he immediately knew it was the one he wanted for his lover.

"This one is perfect!" Steve exclaimed, unable to hide his enthusiasm.

"Great choice, sir. I knew you'd like the gold and red accents. This is the 'Tiffany Embrace' ring design, and it's quite popular. I think Mr. Stark will like it. It costs fifteen thousand dollars, is that out of your price range?" the designer questioned, as it was standard procedure.

"No, not at all, I have more than enough money for it. Can I have you engrave something inside of the band?" Steve asked hopefully.

"Yes, of course. I will take care of it right away and have it to you in a half an hour. What do you want me to engrave in it?" the jeweler replied, grabbing a pen and a piece of paper from a drawer in the mahogany table.

Steve wrote the sentence onto the stationary and handed it to the man, who promptly left the room with the ring and paper in hand.

"What are you having engraved on it? Stony for life?" Pepper joked, a small grin appearing on her face.

"I still don't understand why the tabloids call us that… But anyway I can't tell you. It's something personal between Tony and I, and I want it to stay that way," Steve teased as he beamed at Pepper.

Pepper and Steve went out to the display room and checked out the other rings until the jeweler came back with the ring, which was carefully placed in a beautiful dark red velvet case. Steve paid for the ring with his debit card, and the two left the store.

Pepper dropped Steve back off at the tower and waved goodbye as she took off to go back to her apartment.

The super-soldier entered the tower and headed directly to his place in front of the window in the living room. He carefully opened the jewelry box and took out the ring, reading the words over and over again. A smile grew on his face, and he couldn't wait until Tony got home.

_Tonight, I'm going to take him out for a nice dinner, and I'm going to propose. This is going to be perfect, _Steve thought to himself as he continued to stare at the ring, feeling more confident and sure of himself than ever.


	25. Chapter 25

Half an hour later, Tony finally arrived to the clinic. He got out of the limo, tipped Happy generously, and walked into the building. When he entered the lobby, he first noticed the disgusting design of the waiting room. The walls were a pale pink plastered with posters of mothers holding children, and the floor was bright white. In front of him, there was a reception desk with a glass window that kept the patient and receptionist separated, though no one was working at the present moment. The clinic appeared to be entirely empty. There were four cushy seats on the left, and the cushions were a deep shade of purple. On the right, he saw a pamphlet display case.

Tony walked over to the case and grabbed several pamphlets and flipped through them. "Pregnancy and Alcohol," "When a Pregnancy Ends in Tragedy," and "How to Tell Your Partner You're Pregnant," were the titles of the ones he randomly picked up. He shuddered at the thought of having children, and wondered why he had been brought here in the first place. It made no sense to him, and he was growing frustrated that no one was at the front desk.

"Mr. Stark, we are ready for you," a pencil thin blonde woman with big caramel colored eyes said as she walked into the room.

"About damn time… I've been waiting out here for like five minutes. If it was so urgent that I come here I assumed you'd be ready the moment I got here," Tony grumbled as he followed her down the hallway and into the room at the end of the hall.

It was the same ugly color as the waiting room, and there were posters of women's anatomy and the stages of pregnancy on the walls. On the left side of the room, there were four light brown wood cabinets, each of the drawers labeled with their medical contents. The examination table was light pink and had stirrups on it. There was a large, space-consuming white ultrasound machine next to the examination table. He noticed Martin leaning against one of the cabinets with his arms crossed, and he was wearing a white lab coat with a pin that said "Doctor Westenberg" on it.

"Hello, Anthony. Do you have the sample of Steve's semen ready?" Martin asked as he looked the genius directly in his eyes.

"Uh, I'm going to need a bathroom. And a cup," the billionaire replied as he rubbed the back of his neck and broke eye contact with the doctor.

"Gina, will you please show him where the bathroom is?" the doctor asked, turning his attention to the thin blonde nurse.

"Of course. Come with me, Mr. Stark," Gina said with a smile as she led him out the door.

The bathroom was on the left side of the hallway near the lobby. It was painted sunshine yellow, and the tile floor was an off-white color. The room was plain; all it had was a toilet, a sink, and a small space in the wall where specimen cups were placed so doctors could examine them.

Tony quickly took out the plug and let Steve's cum ooze out into the specimen cup, and put the plug back in. He closed the lid to specimen cup, then put it in the opening in the wall.

When he was finished, he hurried out of the bathroom and back into the examination room and plopped down on the table.

"The sample's ready for you, Martin. Now can you tell me what the fuck is going on?" Tony pleaded, bringing his hands together in a prayer position.

"I need to run some tests, and then I will explain everything to you. It is going to take me an hour to finish them, however," the doctor replied, devoid of any emotion.

"Dammit! Why do you have to make me deal with so much suspense? I'm Tony fucking Stark, and I deserve better than this!" Tony whined as he smacked his fists against the table.

"You're being childish, Anthony. Use your smartphone or take a nap if you need it. I will be back in a while," Martin said as he left the room.

_What is happening? I have no idea why I'm in an ob/gyn office… Especially a hideous one like this. I should hire someone to fix this place up and give it a modern feel… I should text Steve. No, he said he was busy running errands. I never text him during meetings, so it would look a little fishy. I know he would pick up on that, he's not an idiot by any means. I really should have just been honest with him, I'm about ready to freak the hell out… I really wish he was here,_ Tony thought to himself, his mind racing from one thought to the next.

After an hour and a half, Martin came back in the room with a clipboard, and he quickly finished scribbling some notes on a chart. He was grimacing, and he quickly covered his mouth so Tony wouldn't see it.

"Well, I don't even really know how to tell you this but…" Martin sighed, unable to finish the sentence.

"I've been waiting forever. Come on, come on! I don't have all day you know!" Tony growled as he balled up his fists in anger.

"I guess I'll put it bluntly, then. You're four weeks pregnant," the doctor replied, trying to hide his surprise.

"That's impossible! Stop playing games, Martin. I'm really not joking around," Tony hissed as he got up off of the table and grabbed the doctor by his lab coat.

"Calm down, Anthony! I would never lie to you. This is serious business, and at first, I thought one of my nurses was playing a trick on me. She accidentally took your urine sample instead of another patient's and tested it to see if the person, in the case you, was pregnant. The test came back positive, and when the nurse took a look at the label on the cup and saw it was you, she showed it to me. She was right, much to my surprise," Martin stated as he moved away from the genius.

"Well, why did you need Steve's cum? I'm so fucking confused right now. This makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever, and I'm a goddamn genius!" Tony griped as he sat back down on the examination table.

"I had to see if there was any possible way Steve could have impregnated you. I ran some tests, and it turns out the super-serum he was given altered everything, even his semen. Since it hadn't dried out yet, they were still active, so I could run some tests. After carefully examining it, I found that his sperm is able to impregnate anything, much to my surprise," Martin explained.

"So… I have a baby growing in my ass then? What the fuck, am I gonna die? Jesus Christ I haven't lived a full life yet!" Tony wailed, throwing his hands up in the air.

"No, that is not the case. His semen is incredibly strange. It can penetrate through organs, and I suppose it has his super-soldier strategic skills, because it somehow made a womb of sorts where a woman's would be. It's not technically a womb since you're a male of course, and I honestly cannot tell you how Mister Rogers' semen was able to create one and impregnate you. There has never been anything like this in the history of mankind, and I really am not sure how I could run tests to figure that out. I guess it will just remain a mystery," Martin responded, trying to help Tony understand the situation.

"I-I really don't know what to say… I've done and seen a lot of fucked up things, but never in my life have I had to go through a science fiction horror show like this…" Tony mumbled as he placed both of his hands underneath his chin.

"I'm sorry I had to be the bearer of such… strange news. Now I need you to lay down on the examination table for me," the doctor stated as he moved toward the ultrasound machine.

"I don't have to put my feet up in the stirrups, do I? Because that would just be way too much and I'm really not in the mood for anyone to see my junk," the genius sighed as he lay down.

"No, there is absolutely no need for that, I can assure you. I am going to run an ultrasound on you. Now lift up your shirt. I have to put some gel on your stomach so the transducer will work more efficiently," Martin said as he pulled out a tube of a clear gel out of his lab coat pocket.

He gently rubbed the gel onto Tony's stomach, and pressed the transducer onto his lubed up flesh.

"Damn that's cold! And this feels weird… I don't like it," the genius whined as Martin performed the ultrasound.

"You're fine, Anthony. You will feel some pressure and you may be uncomfortable, but everything is alright," the doctor said, trying to get Tony to relax.

Tony sighed as Martin searched for any signs of pregnancy. After about fifteen minutes, the doctor found something.

"Look on the monitor, Anthony. Do you see that little circle in the middle of the screen? That's the gestational sac. It will be a while before you actually see the baby of course, but it is off to a great start. We don't always get to see anything this early into a pregnancy," Martin beamed, excited that he was the first doctor in the world to actually see a pregnant man.

Tony began to tear up as he saw the life that was growing inside of him. It terrified him not only because it was not natural, but because he was afraid of having children. The billionaire was worried he would be just like his father and never take the time to love his child. He wasn't sure if he actually had it in him to raise it, especially with Steve. Tony and Steve had never discussed children, or marriage for that matter. This was a big step, and he wasn't sure if he even wanted their child to be born at all.

"Well, I guess you're right, I really am pregnant… Shit!" Tony sobbed, unable to control his feelings of shock and fear any longer.

"I can only imagine how difficult this is for you to handle. Do you want me to stop the ultrasound, or do you want to look at it a little longer?" Martin asked, putting his free hand on Tony's shoulder.

"Is there a way you can print off a picture for me?" Tony asked, having a difficult time getting the words out as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Of course. This ultrasound machine actually has a nifty feature that allows me to print a still frame out. I'll do that for you and then I can finish up," Martin answered as he pressed a button on the machine. After a minute, the grayscale picture of the beginning stage of Tony and Steve's baby printed out, and the doctor handed it to him.

"Here you go, Anthony. Now I'll wipe the gel off and put everything away," the doctor said as he went to the cabinet to grab some wipes.

As the genius stared at the picture trying to sort out all of his thoughts and feelings about his pregnancy, Martin wiped the cool substance off of Tony's stomach and put the equipment away.

"I will give you some time alone to think. If you have any questions or need me for anything, I will be sitting in the waiting room," the doctor said softly as he patted the billionaire on the arm, then exited the room, closing the door behind him.

Tony sat in complete silence, unsure of how to feel about the new development in his life.

_How in the hell could they not have known about that side-effect of the serum? Well I guess since Steve never had sex before meeting me there was no way to figure it out. How am I going to explain this to Cap? I can't even grasp all of this myself, and I'm a fucking genius. I don't even know if I want this… Steve and I have had enough problems in our relationship, and things have finally gotten better between us. Bringing a child into this world may ruin our relationship altogether, especially if this isn't something he wants. I know Steve loves me, but I don't know if he would want to commit to me more than just being my boyfriend. I have done a lot of shitty things to him, and I don't know if he would want to put up with it for the rest of his life. What if he does end up wanting the baby though? Will I be able to man up and take responsibility? I know Steve will, no problem. When he cares about something he is very loyal and will do whatever he can to live up to the high standards he has set for himself. But me? I've never really stuck with anything. I'm surprised that I've stayed with Steve this long… Can I really spend the rest of my life raising a child and taking care of it until I die? _Tony thought to himself as he wiped away the tears.

After an hour of rumination, Tony felt that he was finally ready to go home. He got up off of the examination table and lumbered to the waiting room where Martin was sitting patiently.

"I'm honestly not sure if I want to keep this baby Martin. Is it possible for me to have an abortion if I decide I can't deal with all of this shit?" Tony asked, feeling guilty that the thought even crossed his mind.

"Yes, it would work the same way. Don't make any rash decisions though; you have not had time to process any of this. I want you to discuss this with Steve as well before you make a decision. After all, he is your partner and the one who got you into this situation in the first place," the doctor said as he got up from the ugly purple chair.

"Yeah… I know. How in the hell do I bring something like this up to him? I've watched plenty of shows where they drop the ball, and it always ends up going terribly," Tony said, anxiety lacing his voice.

"Here, take this pamphlet. 'How To Tell Your Partner You're Pregnant' is very helpful and has helped many women break the good, or perhaps bad, news to their loved one," Martin said with a smile as he handed the brochure over to Tony.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it, Martin. I assume we'll have to set up appointments for future ultrasounds and all that bullshit… Just call me the day that you want me to come in. I hate scheduling things and I really don't want Pepper to know about this," the genius stated as he stared down at the pamphlet in his hand.

"Okay, I can do that for you. I called Happy and he is parked out in front. I hope you have a nice day, and make sure you talk to Steve, okay?" Martin said as he walked the genius out to the vehicle.

"Thanks, and I will when I'm ready. This whole situation just fucking sucks…" Tony mumbled as he got into his limousine, which was headed back to the tower.

_God I hope Steve knows what to do, because I have absolutely no idea what to think or how to feel. This is either going to bring us together or tear us apart, and I'm really hoping the first possibility occurs. Fuck I'm a complete mess…_ Tony thought to himself as he broke down into tears again, covering his face with his hands.


	26. Chapter 26

After admiring the ring one more time, Steve gently placed it back in the beautiful red box it came in, and got up off of the floor. He wasn't sure where the two should go for dinner that night; all he knew was that it needed to be fancy. Not being a man who had ever indulged in such things, Steve had to ask Jarvis for help.

"Jarvis, what is Tony's favorite restaurant?" Steve asked, unsure of what the answer would be.

"It is Shawarma King, Captain Rogers," Jarvis replied.

"Oh, well that's interesting… I thought it would be fancier than that. Well, I don't really think greasy, cheap food is going to set the mood I want to create for tonight. Can you tell me what his favorite fancy restaurant is?" Steve asked, a little surprised by the first answer he received.

"His favorite high end restaurant is Le Bernadine, sir. Shall I make reservations for the two of you tonight?" the A.I. inquired.

"Yes, that would be great. Make the reservations for six in the evening, please! If there is any way you can get them to give us chocolate fondue and strawberries for dessert, I would appreciate it. It just seems appropriate for the occasion!" the super-soldier exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement any longer.

"Of course, Captain Rogers," Jarvis responded, quickly getting to work.

_Now that I have all of that taken care of, what should I do? I guess I'll lay out our dress clothes on the bed and wait for Tony to get back, _Steve thought to himself as he checked his watch, the time being three in the afternoon.

The super-soldier walked into their bedroom and flipped through the clothing in the closet, looking for the perfect outfits. He decided to wear the classy blue suit that he wore to church on Sunday, since it was a gift from Tony. He carefully held up the suit and smiled, thinking about that wonderful moment at the church when he locked eyes with Tony. After a few moments of reflection, he gingerly set the outfit on the bed, taking care not to wrinkle it.

He looked through the dozens of suits that Tony owned, trying to find the one he felt best fit the mood. Steve was surprised that a man could own so many outfits, and they were all by designers he knew little about.

_Darn it, I'm not sure which one he should wear. It needs to complement my suit, since Tony tells me time and time again that things need to be coordinated by color. This is the one time that I wish he was here to lecture me about style… _Steve sighed as he continued to flip through the overabundance of dress clothes.

"Captain Rogers, I suggest that you require Master Stark to wear the suit that is located all the way in the back of the closet. He has designated it for very special occasions, though he has never worn the ensemble in his life," Jarvis chimed in helpfully.

"Thanks, Jarvis!" Steve replied as he pushed the massive numbers of outfits aside to get to the one at the end of the closet.

When the super-soldier pulled the suit off of the rack, he knew it was perfect. The suit jacket and tie were a dark burgundy color, similar to what the Iron Man suit looked like in darker lighting. The material was soft and inviting to Steve's fingers, and he wished he could place what type of fabric the suit was made from. The pants and vest underneath the jacket were black, and the white button down layered beneath the vest was white. Steve gently placed the suit on the bed, and was about to walk away when he noticed something.

_Why does Tony have a pin with my shield design on the pocket of his jacket? Jarvis said that he's had this suit for years and never worn it… I really must have been someone he looked up to when he was growing up. I sure hope I've lived up to his expectations, _Steve thought to himself as he inspected the pin closely.

"Hey, Steve. Why are you laying suits out on our bed?" Tony questioned as he stalked into the room, surprising the super-soldier.

"Well, I want to take you out to dinner tonight. You always do nice things for me, it's my turn now," Steve smirked, motioning for Tony to come over and embrace him.

"Uh, Steve? What made you pick out that one for me? I mean it looks fantastic and goes pretty damn well with your blue suit, but it's the last one I would have expected to see…" Tony mumbled into Steve's chest, clinging tightly to the larger man, needing his touch more than ever.

"I guess it just kind of spoke to me. If you don't want to wear this one it's okay, you can choose one of your own if you'd like," the super-soldier replied, planting a delicate kiss to the top of his lover's head.

"No, no, I'll wear it tonight. Thanks for picking everything out for me. When are we going to dinner?" the smaller man questioned as he nuzzled into Steve's perfect pecs.

"We'll be leaving here at five thirty. I hope you like the restaurant I picked out," Steve said as he picked Tony up and gently set him on their king-sized bed.

Steve put the two suits back into the closet and joined his boyfriend on the bed. He turned Tony to his side and laid behind him, spooning him. When Steve wrapped his left arm around Tony's stomach, the genius whimpered.

"What's wrong, Tony? Are you in pain? Was I too rough with you this morning?" Steve asked, whisking his hand away from his lover's abdomen.

"No, I'm okay, just exhausted from the meeting I had today. It was just very stressful and I simply made a noise. I would have been back earlier but I had Happy drive me around for a bit. It helped me relax and I'm fine, so stop worrying so much, okay?" Tony assured Steve, waving his left hand in a dismissive motion.

"Okay. You know that I just like to make sure you're alright after we're finished being intimate. How was your meeting, by the way? What did your lawyers tell you about the trial?" the super-soldier questioned softly, directly into Tony's ear.

"It was nothing important, Cap. We just ran through how I need to behave throughout the trial, as if I didn't already know how the system works… Now let's stop talking about all of this, alright?" Tony sighed as he pressed himself back into Steve's body.

"You know what I think you need? A nice hot bath! I'll run you one and give you some time to yourself before I wear us out with all the fun I have planned," Steve beamed as he rolled off of the bed and scampered into their bathroom.

_What the hell brought all of this on? I know Steve and I are doing great and he's just a sweetheart by nature, but I don't get it. I shouldn't even think about it, Cap's jut taking me out for a nice dinner to celebrate making up. I wonder when the best time is to tell him about our… mistake, _Tony thought as he carefully pulled the ultrasound photo out of his pocket.

He examined it carefully and gently traced his left index finger around the gestational sac that was to become their little bundle of mixed feelings one day. Tony wasn't sure if he could ever bring himself to tell Steve. He sighed heavily as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed, and he hid the photo inside of an old book that was located in the drawer of the nightstand. He stared blankly at the wall, trying desperately not to cry again.

"Tony, your bath is ready!" Steve called out as he peeked his head out of the bathroom.

The genius slowly got up off of the bed and sauntered to Steve, as he was using all of his energy not to become a sobbing wreck.

Steve took Tony by the hand and led him to the tub, which was filled with bubbles. The kind gesture made Tony smile softly, though he was no farther away from a breakdown. The super-soldier slowly removed all of the smaller man's clothes in a platonic fashion and helped him into the water.

"There you go, Tony. Just relax and enjoy the hot water. If you need anything I'll be reading the latest issue of 'The National Enquirer' in the living room. I'll come get you if you aren't out of the bathtub by the time we need to leave," Steve said with a smile as he planted a kiss to his boyfriend's lips.

"I don't know how you can read that garbage…" Tony mumbled, knowing that Steve could hear him.

"I'm not sure. It's just, well, entertaining. Anyway, enjoy your bath!" the larger man exclaimed and skittered out of the room.

The moment Tony heard the door click shut, he silently shed his tears of fear and apprehension. He didn't want Steve to hear him, and it took all he had not to wail as he cried. His confidence flew out the window, and the fear that Steve would leave once he shared the news overwhelmed him. All of this was so strange, and Tony was paranoid that it would scare his boyfriend away. He didn't know if Steve could love him unconditionally as it was, with or without a baby in the mix.

After an hour of weeping and self-loathing, Tony submerged his whole body into the soapy water, which was now lukewarm. He felt like dying in that moment and contemplated suicide, wondering if things would be better if he was gone. Tony quickly snapped out of the dark thought, and he knew he could never go through with drowning himself. The genius would rather have Steve leave him than make him go through all of the pain and agony of dealing with his suicide. He brought his head back up out of the water and gently rested both his hands on his stomach, rubbing it gently.

_Fuck I can't do this, I'm not ready. I can't tell him about this, no fucking way. Maybe having an abortion is the best option… _Tony thought to himself as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his right index finger and thumb.

He slowly pulled himself out of the water and drained the tub, then gently sat down on the lip of the bathtub. Tony realized he still had the black butt plug in and promptly stood up and swiftly removed it, unsure as to how he could have possibly forgotten it was in his ass.

The genius grabbed a towel, dried his hair and body and wrapped the soft material around his waist. He turned to face the mirror and placed his left hand on his flat, chiseled stomach, and a flood of thoughts washed through his mind.

_Goodbye sexy physique, hello stretch marks and a hideous baby bump. You know, I have never been able to stand the way pregnant women look, all swollen and exhausted from having to carry a kid around. It's not a good look, and whoever gets turned on by it is beyond me. I guess all of those times of grimacing at them bit me in the ass… _

"Tony, are you sure you're alright? Do you have a stomachache?" Steve questioned as he opened the bathroom door and saw Tony holding his tummy.

"Yeah, a little bit. I'll take some antacids and everything will be back to normal. Is it almost time for dinner, because I am fucking starving. Where are you taking me that we need to look so refined and classy?" the billionaire questioned, taking the conversation into a new direction.

"I can't tell you. It's a secret!" Steve replied excitedly as he flashed his lover a toothy grin.

"Hmm… Maybe you're just playing a trick on me. Are we going to Shawarma King dressed like this? Because that's my favorite place and this just seems like overkill," Tony quipped as he headed to the closet to grab his suit.

"You never take anything seriously, do you?" Steve joked as he joined Tony by the closet.

"Of course not! What kind of fun would life be if I did?" the genius replied with a cocky grin.

"This is why I love you, Tony," Steve said as playfully punched the smaller man in his left arm.

The two took their time getting ready, laughing and smiling the whole time. It took Tony's mind off of his troubling predicament, and he relished in the moment. He knew he would cherish that perfect and beautiful hour for the rest of his life.

In that brief span of time, Steve grew more confident about his decision to propose to Tony that night. Everything had fallen into place, and he truly believed with all of his heart that the ex-playboy was ready to settle down and make their relationship a permanent fixture. Steve felt completely at peace, and he couldn't wait to make Tony his forever.


	27. Chapter 27

"Was the blindfold really necessary, Steve?" Tony said with a grin as his boyfriend led him out of the limo.

"Of course! I want this to be fun for you tonight, you deserve it," Steve beamed as he led him into the restaurant.

When they entered the restaurant, Steve moved behind Tony and removed the blindfold. The billionaire squealed a little when he realized where they were going to be eating that night.

"I love this place! How in the hell did you know I love this place just a little bit more than Shawarma King? You must have had a little help from Jarvis…" Tony said as he planted a quick peck to his boyfriend's lips.

"Maybe I did… Well let's get to our seat and enjoy this place! I've never been here before, so you're going to have to help me order," the larger man said as the two lovers held hands until they reached their table.

They were seated in the middle of the restaurant, surrounded by all of the other customers, who were shocked that Captain America and Iron Man were eating in the same vicinity as them.

Tony completely ignored them, as he was used to being checked out and bothered on a regular basis. Being stared at never bothered him; rather he loved the attention he received. Steve, on the other hand, was a little uncomfortable and he began to blush a pale pink.

"It's okay, Cap. They're just jealous that two of the most delicious specimens on the planet are in the same room as them. They are blessed to be in our presence!" Tony exclaimed, lowering his voice so no one heard him.

"If you say so, Tony… Now let's figure out what we want to eat, I'm starving! What should I get?" Steve replied with a grin as he looked over at his hopefully soon to be fiancé's menu.

"You're always hungry, you glorious hunk of muscle. And no, you can't look. I'm going to order something for you and you can't know what it is. If you're going to surprise me by taking me to the most incredible restaurant in the city, then you aren't going to order for yourself. It's only fair," Tony retorted and flashed his lover a toothy grin.

"Just don't make it too adventurous. You know that I know basically nothing about the classy life other than living in the tower. Pretty please?" Steve replied, looking at Tony with puppy-dog eyes, which he did so well it was unfathomable.

"Fine, fine. I won't… This time," the genius said as winked at his boyfriend, who chuckled at the gesture.

"So, what will you two superheroes have tonight? And will you both please sign a menu for me? My boss is letting me take one if you two give me your autographs!" the short, curvy waitress with shiny black hair and piercing green eyes said, barely able to contain her excitement.

"Sure, I'd be honored," Steve replied, signing the menu with 'Captain America'.

Tony quickly snatched the menu from him and hid it from his lover as he wrote his scribbled something on the menu. He handed it back to her, and she let out a little squeak of happiness.

"Thank you so much, this is getting framed! And it's so cute!" She exclaimed giddily, completely forgetting about taking their order.

"Hey, honey, you still have to take our order. You've got to get out of your fangirl ways!" the billionaire chided jokingly and she quickly took their order and left.

"What did you draw? I know it was more than just your signature," the super-soldier said curiously as he cocked his left eyebrow up.

"I drew a plus sign in between our names and a big heart around it!" Tony replied as he made a heart shape with his hands.

"You're such an interesting character, Tony. I love you," Steve smiled as he caressed Tony's face.

The billionaire purred and nuzzled his face against his boyfriend's large, calloused hands, loving the rough feeling on his cheeks. Tony leaned over the table and kissed Steve tenderly, his heart overflowing with love.

"I love you too, Steve. Thanks for taking me out tonight, I really needed it after my busy day," Tony whispered into his ear, then sat back down in his seat.

The two sat in a calm, peaceful silence, holding hands on the table. They didn't need to say anything to describe that moment; it was simply perfect. Everyone could feel the love and happiness radiating off of them, and it made the atmosphere of the room quiet and still, as the other patrons ooh-ed and ahh-ed at the super couple.

After a half-hour of basking in the warmth of each other's love and devotion, their food came. The waitress set down a plate of baked lobster for Tony, and a plate of filet mignon for Steve.

"There you go, Cap. That's not too out of your comfort zone, is it?" the genius quipped, his mouth filled with lobster.

"You know, it's not very polite to talk with your mouth full. It's ironic to me that I've never really eaten at a classy restaurant and I have more etiquette than you doo!" the super-soldier retorted then took a bite of filet mignon, chewing it with his mouth closed.

"I'm IRON MAN, Steve. I'll do whatever I want!" Tony joked as he stuffed a big chunk of the seafood into his mouth.

Steve and Tony laughed softly, beaming at each other as they stared deep into each other's eyes. The two exchanged bites of their food, and Steve was a little envious of Tony's dish.

"You know what? Next time we come here I'm getting that instead," the larger man said after he finished chewing.

"No you're not. I'm picking out something for you again next time, and believe me it's going to be way different than anything you've ever had in your life," the billionaire responded with a smirk.

"Like being in love with you…" Steve replied fondly as he fed Tony another piece of filet mignon.

Tony grinned at the cheesy response his lover gave him, and as soon as they were finished with their dinner dessert came. The waitress set down a small pot of chocolate fondue and a tray of fresh fruit. The genius rubbed his hands together in anticipation, excited to see the sweet, melted chocolate and delicious fruit on the table.

"So, you want to fondue with me, eh Cap?" Tony laughed as he dipped a strawberry into the warm chocolate.

"I've always got an appetite for it…" Steve replied with a smirk before Tony fed him the chocolate coated fruit.

When the finished their delicious dessert Steve felt as if he had butterflies in his stomach, feeling anxious about proposing to the love of his life. He was nervous to pop the question to Tony, and his whole body began to tremble from his nerves.

"Steve, are you okay?" Tony asked, a little worried that the food made him sick.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine! I just have a question for you…" the super-soldier said nervously as he got up out of his seat, walked over to Tony and got down on one knee.

"This month with you has shown me how much I love and care about you. You are the only one I want, and you're the only one that I need. Even though we've had our differences and we've definitely been through hell, I know that there's no one else I'd rather go through rough times with. I love you more than you'll ever know, and because of that I have something to ask you," Steve said as he pulled the beautiful red velvet box out of his pocket.

"Will you marry me?" Steve asked as he opened up the box, revealing the beautiful 'Tiffany Embrace' ring with the red and gold accents.

Tony was completely caught off guard by the proposal. He never expected anyone to want to commit to him and stay with him for the long haul. For his whole life, people would comfort him with worthless words and promise they'd never leave him, but no one could handle him. His personality was too much for them, and their love would only stretch so far. Steve, on the other hand, was a good man with a heart bigger than anyone he'd ever known. Tony was afraid that the super-soldier would one day give up on him and leave like the others, but now he felt a glimpse of hope that someone was going to love him the way he so desperately needed.

"Fuck yes!" Tony exclaimed as Steve handed him the ring.

"Look on the inside of the band. I had something engraved into it," Steve said with a sigh of relief and joy.

Tony looked carefully at the beautifully crafted cursive on the inside of the band. The words were from the hymn that Steve had sung at the church: "Let it be a dance".

"That was the moment I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. The way you looked at me while I was singing just made my heart melt. You looked so beautiful and angelic when you were crying those tears of joy, and after that I felt God telling me to ask you to marry me," Steve said as he carefully took the ring from Tony and put it on his fiancé's ring finger.

"Share the laughter, bear the pain. Round and round we go again," Tony sang quietly as he looked in awe at the beautiful, expensive engagement ring on his finger.

"Through the bad times, and the good times too. Let it be a dance," Steve chimed in as he watched Tony admire the ring.

Steve got up off of his knee, stood up and picked Tony up out of his chair. He carried the genius out of the restaurant as if they were already married, and Tony continued to stare at the symbol of their commitment. As they left, the other customers stood up and cheered, excited to see Iron Man and Captain America take their relationship to a deeper level.

When the two lovers got home, they could barely contain themselves. Steve stripped all of Tony's clothes off before they even arrived to the bedroom, and he gently set him down on their king-sized bed. The super-soldier removed all of his clothes hastily and joined his fiancé, pulling Tony of top of him. The two kissed slowly and softly as if they were discovering each other's bodies for the first time.

After several minutes of making out, Steve rolled around on the bed with Tony until the larger man was laying underneath. The genius broke away from the kiss and crawled his way down Steve's body, planting kisses down his chest and stomach as he did so. As soon as Tony reached the super-soldier's cock, he stroked it for a few seconds and then took it in his mouth, engulfing Steve in wet heat.

"Oh Tony… You look so beautiful with my dick in your mouth," Steve moaned loudly as he looked down at his fiancé, who was almost choking on his length.

Tony looked up at Steve with his big, expressive brown eyes, enjoying every minute of sucking his fiancé's cock.

"I'm not going to last long if you keep it up… I want you to make love to me, Tony. Please," Steve gasped out, trying desperately to hold back his orgasm.

Tony took Steve's cock out of his mouth, leaving it lubed up with plenty of spit.

"Are you sure you want to switch roles, Steve?" Tony asked, his voice thick with lust.

"This is your night, Tony, and I want this to be special. Please don't make me wait any longer," Steve begged as he grabbed the smaller man and brought him up to his chest, planting a passionate kiss on his lips.

The genius wasted no time, as he pulled away from his fiancé and grabbed the bottle of lube off of the nightstand. He slicked up his dick and gently pushed it inside of Steve, slowly putting his entire length in. Steve winced as the billionaire stretched his ass out, the sensation both painful and pleasurable. Tony moved slowly in and out of Steve as he planted tender kisses to the flesh on the super-soldier's neck. Steve threw his head back to allow his fiancé more access to his neck, and Tony began to stroke Steve's dick in rhythm with his thrusts.

"I love you…" Steve moaned as he came, his semen spurting onto his stomach and chest.

The muscles in the super-soldier's ass tightened, causing Tony to release his seed inside of his fiancé's body.

Tony, completely spent, collapsed onto Steve, spreading the super-soldier's semen onto both of their bodies. Steve wrapped Tony up in his arms and kissed him tenderly as he looked deep into his eyes.

"I love you too, Steve. This was the best night of my life…" Tony whispered into the super-soldier's ear.

Shortly after, the two fell asleep in the same position, too exhausted to move. The night had gone exceptionally well, and Steve was able to sleep peacefully, as he was no longer worried about the outcome. Tony's dream of finding someone who loved him for who he was and wanted to stay committed finally came true, and he slept comfortably on his fiancé's firm, muscular chest. Nothing could spoil the moment; it was completely and utterly perfect.


	28. Chapter 28

"Tony, are you ready to go?" Steve asked as he looked at his watch and tapped his foot on the ground.

His clock read eleven a.m., and the two were supposed to be at a meeting with Tony's lawyers at eleven fifteen.

"Why in the hell did I schedule a meeting on Friday morning? I don't want to go…" Tony whined as he slowly put on his black dress pants with dark grey pinstripes.

"This is important, and you know that. Did they tell you much at your meeting on Tuesday?" Steve questioned, growing more and more impatient as the seconds passed.

"Nah, not a whole lot. Just told me how to behave and all that good stuff. Obviously I didn't need them to tell me that, I've been on trial before. This time I just happen to be a plaintiff. Fun, fun…" the genius replied as he buttoned up his royal blue dress shirt and pulled his black blazer with grey pinstripes on overtop of it.

"Hmm… I wonder what they have to tell you today then," the super-soldier replied as he walked over to Tony and tied the genius' sleek black tie for him.

"Thanks, Steve. And it will probably just be about what Taskmaster and Senator Stern are being charged with, but your guess is as good as mine," Tony shrugged after Steve finished helping him with his tie.

"We'll just wait and see, I suppose. Regardless of what happens, I just want you to know that I'll help you in any way I can. If you get upset during this meeting, let me know and we'll leave," the larger man said softly as he took his lover's hands in his.

"I'll be fine, Steve. This is just how the process works, and I'm completely over what Taskmaster did to me… They're going to get what they deserve and that's that. Now let's just get going, future Mister Steve Stark," Tony replied with a grin, putting on a tough guy act so Steve wouldn't know how he really felt.

All of his life, Tony would rarely let himself open up to anyone, and even with Steve it was still difficult. He never wanted his fiancé to know just how traumatized he still was from the rape, and Tony often blamed himself for what happened. If he was just a little bit stronger, a little bit faster, a little bit tougher, he could have overtaken Taskmaster and escaped before he even needed rescuing. Inside, he was still distraught that Steve had to witness the abuse, and most nights the look on Captain America's face haunted his dreams, though he'd never admit to it. Tony wouldn't allow these feelings to be discussed, and he buried them inside of his heart, allowing them to fester.

"No, I think you're going to be Mister Tony Rogers!" Steve replied with a hearty laugh as he grabbed Tony's left hand, intertwining their fingers.

The two bantered back and forth on their way to the limo, where Happy awaited with a smile. He opened the door for the two lovers then hopped in the driver's seat to take them to see Tony's lawyers.

They arrived at the building fifteen minutes later, and Steve was surprised by how simple the office's décor was. The walls were egg-shell white with a light brown oak wood trim. The floor was also made of oak, but it was a darker shade of brown. There were several degrees framed in the conference room, all of them from Harvard Law School. There was a large oak table with eight chairs surrounding it. The chairs were made of oak, and the seat cushions were burgundy with small black swirls embroidered on them. There were two lawyers sitting at the table patiently waiting for them.

"Steve, this is Sam Trebble and Joseph Varner," Tony said, pointing at each lawyer.

Sam was a pale, short, scrawny man with big steel grey eyes, thinning white hair, and a wide, pug-like nose. He was wearing a dark brown suit with a light brown paisley tie, which surprisingly worked very well together. Steve found him to be unpleasant to look at, however, so he barely made eye contact with him.

Joseph, however, was a different story. He was the same height as Steve and was all lean muscle which was easy to observe in his fitted dark grey suit. He had jet black hair, an olive complexion, pale green eyes, and a thin, slightly upturned nose. The lawyer shot Steve a sly smile, and Steve immediately looked away, a deep red blush creeping up on his face.

_God I fucking hate Joseph… I wish he was ugly like all of the other lawyers I've had the displeasure of working with. Steve even finds him to be attractive, and that's saying something. If he tries to make a move on my Cap I'm going to fucking kill him… _Tony thought to himself as he shot a death glare at the attractive lawyer, who stopped looking at Steve and turned his attention over to the genius.

"So, now that we've done our meet and greets, let's get down to business. I don't want to be here all day, and I'm sure you two don't either," Tony said sharply, jealous that Steve checked out another man.

"Of course, Mister Stark. Well, we actually have some great news for you," Sam said with a small smile as he attempted to hand the genius several papers.

"Give them to Steve, I don't like being handed things," Tony responded with a dismissive look.

Sam handed over the documents to Steve, and the two heroes looked them over.

"You're not serious… Did Pepper put you up to this to get me back for something I did? I mean I've done some shitty things in my life but not bad enough to be lied to this way," the billionaire sassed, feeling hesitant to believe the good news.

"No, this is a legal and binding document. You are no longer going to have to go through a formal trial," Joseph said, lustily looking at Steve from the corners of his eyes.

"Hey buddy, my eyes are over here. You have no reason to look at him," Tony snapped, a wave of possessiveness overtaking him.

Joseph rolled his eyes and gave the genius a fake smile, then shuffled through some papers.

"So, can you explain this to me? I've never heard of this happening before," Steve asked, focusing his attention on Sam.

"Well, to keep this a little more under wraps, Senator Stern and the mercenary have both decided to agree to a plea bargain of sorts. They will both be facing life in prison for what they have done to you, Mister Stark. Senator Stern pleaded guilty to plotting to kill and attempted murder, and Taskmaster pleaded guilty to rape, attempted murder, and kidnapping," the older lawyer answered, feeling accomplished with the case.

"Senator Stern was already humiliated enough, so he bribed the judges into letting things go by in a hush-hush kind of way. It just so happened to work out in our favor," Joseph added, feeling relieved that he wouldn't have to deal with Tony anymore.

"Where are they going to be doing time?" Steve asked so he could keep an eye on the news in case Taskmaster broke out sometime in the future.

"The two are both going to Sing Sing Correctional Facility. It's maximum security, and the mercenary will be kept in isolation so he won't be able to start any trouble. The senator, on the other hand, will be held with the regular prisoners. The court doesn't see him as much of a risk," Sam responded matter-of-factly.

Steve smiled and put his right hand over Tony's left and interlocked their fingers. He was thankful that justice was finally going to be served and that the two people who forever scarred Tony would be behind bars. Steve never wanted anything else like that to happen to Tony, and he was determined to protect his fiancé as if he was his bodyguard.

"Well how about that? Good job, guys. I'm glad that this is all over now and I can get on with my life," Tony stated as he stood up and shook Sam's hand and ignored Joseph's.

As the two men walked out of the conference room, Tony gave Steve's ass an audible slap and looked back at Joseph, driving the point home that Captain America was his territory.

When Steve and Tony arrived back home, the genius stormed upstairs, leaving his fiancé in the dust. Steve rushed after him and delicately grabbed his boyfriend's wrist when they reached the living room.

"Tony, what's wrong? Did the lawyers make a mistake? Are you unhappy with the outcome?" Steve questioned, worried that his lover was disappointed in the verdict.

"No, Steve. Those son of a bitches are getting what they deserve, and I'm happy about that. What I'm not happy about is the way YOU were looking at Joseph. I saw you blush!" Tony yelled as he yanked his hand away from Steve.

"I blushed because he gave me a weird look, and I was embarrassed by it. And he was a nice looking gentleman, but you have no reason to be jealous," Steve responded as he pulled Tony towards him by his waist.

"I bet you'd rather sleep with him… It's not like he's damaged goods like I am…" Tony sighed as he pushed away from Steve's embrace.

"You think I would really want someone more than you? I proposed to you for a reason," the larger man replied in agitation as he pointed to his fiancé's finger.

Tony stared at the ring for a few seconds and took it off, reading the engraving for what seemed like the billionth time. The words meant more to him than the ring did; he couldn't have cared less about where it came from. The rational Tony knew that Steve wanted to marry him, but the irrational, emotionally damaged one did not. Knowing that the bastards that kidnapped and raped him were in jail did nothing to help him; rather discussing it just made him feel like he was weak and that he deserved it.

"You can't possibly mean it, though, Steve. I think you just think I'm the best you're ever going to get. You're settling…" Tony broke down and fell to the floor, unable to finish the sentence.

"Tony, no I'm not! You need to snap out of this, now!" Steve, frustrated, lashed out and grabbed the smaller man's wrists and forced him back into a standing position.

Tony backed up against the wall, his eyes wide with terror. The super-soldier moved towards him and pinned him against the wall. He grabbed Tony's face with both hands and planted a powerful kiss to his lips.

"Look, you need to stop beating yourself up over this! You didn't do anything to deserve what happened, and you know it! Don't you ever say that I don't mean it when I tell you I love you!" Steve cried out in frustration, trying to get the point across to Tony.

"Y-yes, Steve…" the genius said in a barely audible whisper, averting Steve's gaze.

"Look at me, Tony," the super-soldier commanded, his hands still on the smaller man's face.

Hesitantly, the billionaire brought his eyes to focus on his fiancé, afraid of what was to come next.

"You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful person this world has to offer. Your appearance is pure perfection in my eyes, but that's not what's important. The person you are inside is what I fell in love with, not your face. You see these marks? They do nothing but prove how strong you are. You survived something very few would be able to, and I'm proud of you," Steve said as he tenderly stroked the three deep scars on Tony's face, which covered his entire left cheek.

Tony brought his hand up to meet Steve's and looked at his fiancé, still shaky from his brief outburst of aggression.

Several times Tony had been at the brunt of the super-soldier's anger, and as their relationship progressed he saw it more and more frequently. He loved it when Steve would fuck him when he was angry; it was a kink they both shared and it was mutual. It was different when they were having a fight, however. The angry and dark parts of Steve were terrifying, and Tony was terrified that it was going to rear its ugly head that night. Even though Steve had calmed down pretty quickly, the genius couldn't know for sure that the fire had died down just yet. The irrational Tony felt that he needed the abuse tonight and reasoned that it was from someone he loved than maybe he could forget Taskmaster (at least for the night).

"No, Steve. You're not proud of me; you're just lying to me to make me feel better. Now get out of my face," Tony snidely replied as he spit in Steve's face, hoping to rile the super-soldier up.

In the blink of an eye, Steve went from being calm to cruel. He grabbed Tony by the wrists and dragged him over to the couch.

"Lay down and take off your clothes. Now," the super-soldier demanded, his voice a low growl.

Tony quickly did as he was told, not wanting to anger him further. After the billionaire removed his clothes, Steve swiftly got on top of him, squishing Tony with his weight.

"Now, you're going to tell me what you think about yourself," the super-soldier commanded as he grinded his hips into Tony's.

"I-I'm no good…" Tony said, feeling a powerful palm slap the side of his face when the words left his lips.

"Wrong. Every time you say something I disagree with, you're going to get smacked. If this is the only way to get through to you, this is what I'm prepared to do," Steve snarled, rearing up his hand to strike Tony again.

After receiving five painful strikes to the right side of his face, Tony finally started to tailor his answers to please Steve.

"I deserve you," Tony whispered, wondering if Steve would hit him again.

"That's better… Keep going," the super-soldier grinned as he slowly worked his way down Tony's body.

"I'm a good person… I am lovable… The rape wasn't my fault… It wasn't my…" Tony gasped as Steve took his half hard dick in his mouth.

"Y-you mean it when you say you love me… You care about me… You want me to be yours forever… Oh God Steve," Tony moaned as Steve sucked his cock eagerly.

"Say one more good thing about yourself and you can have your reward," Steve said seductively, taking his mouth off of Tony's dick.

"I love you, Steve!" the genius cried out as Steve finished him off with his hands, moving at a fast and erratic pace.

"I love you too, Tony. Now do you feel better?" Steve asked, tenderly caressing Tony's scars once more.

"Yeah, I'm all better…" Tony whispered, feeling confused by what had just transpired between them.

Steve gently cradled his fiancé in his arms and took him off to the bedroom. He set the smaller man down on the bed and then curled up beside him, running his fingers along the arc reactor.

"I'm sorry for hurting you, Tony. I don't know what came over me. It won't happen again," Steve promised as he kissed the genius' badly scarred cheek.

"I know," Tony replied, though he knew that was a lie.

_God I hope he didn't hurt the baby… I really need to tell him, but today's definitely not a good time. Maybe tomorrow, _Tony thought to himself, unable to fall asleep.

**Note: Sam Trebble and Joseph Varner are OC's.**


	29. Chapter 29

"So, have you told Steven yet, Anthony?" Martin asked as he was performing an ultrasound on this genius. Steve and Tony had been engaged for a month at this point, and Tony was eight weeks into his pregnancy.

"Well I was going to tell him the week I found out, but then we had a busy week and we got into a little fight after we got all of my legal stuff figured out, and then I just kind of… Put it off," Tony rambled nonchalantly

"This isn't something to 'put off'. Steven really needs to know that you are carrying his child, it's an incredibly important matter," the doctor replied as he shook his head in disappointment.

"Everything will work itself out. I have no idea how to tell him, so I just don't. He'll figure out something's up soon enough," Tony stated indifferently.

"I don't understand why you act this way, Anthony. Keeping such a secret from your partner, especially since he is now your fiancé, is far from acceptable. I advise you to tell him the moment you get home. This cannot continue," Martin responded, his voice tense.

"Aww, there's my little… Whatever it is!" Tony squeaked as he pointed at the screen on the ultrasound.

"Yes, I would say the fetus is about twenty millimeters right now. It's getting pretty big," Martin sighed, unhappy that Tony changed the subject.

"You know? This still freaks me out more than anything ever has in my life, but it's pretty awesome… And I don't feel too hot," the genius said before promptly puking in the trash can next to the bed.

"Has morning sickness been a problem for you, Anthony?" the doctor asked, jotting down notes as the nurse finished up the ultrasound.

"Yeah it sucks. I puke almost every single day. Luckily I've been able to hide it from Steve, but I don't know for how much longer," Tony replied as he wiped his mouth on his arm.

"Buy some peppermint hard candies and some crackers; they should help put your stomach at ease. Some of this may not be because of the pregnancy, Anthony. Stress makes your body sick; you of all people should know that. Do you want to make your baby sick, too?" Martin asked seriously, trying to convince the billionaire to confess his predicament to Steve.

"Print off a picture for me and then I'm getting the fuck out of here," Tony grumbled as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Very well, Anthony. If you aren't going to listen to me, then that's the way it is. Just keep in mind, you can always call me and you and I can sit down together to tell him if you aren't comfortable doing it alone," Martin said calmly as he helped Tony off of the table.

"Thanks, Martin, but I've got this taken care of… Now I guess I'll…" Tony was cut off before he could finish the sentence.

"What are all of these bruises from?" the doctor questioned as he looked at Tony's back.

There were bruises covering his lower back, and they crept down underneath his belt. The doctor took a closer look at the genius and saw his neck was darker in spots. Tony had been trying to cover the bruises up with makeup, but forgot about his back completely, thinking they would be hidden by his grey long sleeve shirt.

"Uh, you know, it just goes with the territory of dating someone with super-strength," the genius joked, trying to play it off as if it was nothing.

"I assume you and Steve are still being intimate, especially since he is not aware of your condition. The bruises on your neck can be attributed to hickeys, but I can't say that the ones on your back are acceptable…" Martin stated as he looked at the blue and purple marks on the billionaire's flesh.

"We just get a little rough sometimes, Martin. We're pretty kinky," Tony joked, trying to hide his anxiety.

Tony was afraid that Martin would know what really took place between he and Steve. Several days ago, the two got into another big fight. They went out to dinner and Tony was mindlessly flirting with several women, as he normally did, and when the two got home Steve unleashed his rage. He threw Tony on the ground and pinned him on his stomach. The genius tried to break free of the super-soldier's grip, but he was unsuccessful. Steve slapped his back and ass numerous times, making Tony atone for his flirtatiousness. It was not one of the times where he wanted the super-soldier to dominate him, and it made him angry to think about it.

"Anthony, this is not healthy. You should not be having rough intercourse when pregnant, you know that. This is why you need to tell him!" Martin said, slapping his forehead with his hand.

"Well this was a great visit. Call me when I need to come in again," Tony said as he quickly took the photo from the nurse's hand and rushed out of the building.

_Why in the fuck can't I just come out and tell him! If I do, I know he won't hit me anymore… At least I hope so. He's too fucking strong for me to get away from him, especially right now, _Tony thought to himself on the ride home, gently rubbing his little belly.

When the genius got home, he quickly put the new ultrasound picture with the first one in the old book in the nightstand and then went to the kitchen to eat lunch. He was absolutely famished, and he couldn't wait to stuff his face.

"Tony, what are you eating?" Steve asked as he walked into the kitchen, shocked to see several plates of food sitting in front of his fiancé.

There was a large half-eaten plate of spaghetti, a jar of pickles with only two left inside and two large pieces of chocolate crème cake.

"I'm just having some lunch, Steve. What's so weird about that?" Tony said defensively, worried that Steve would put the pieces together.

Tony was a mess. There was spaghetti sauce and chocolate smeared on his face, and some spaghetti and chocolate crumbs were clinging to his shirt, leaving stains in the light grey material. He was growing a little belly, which Steve had noticed last night when Tony was riding him.

"Well, you never used to eat this much… And you're being a slob. It's not really like you," the super-soldier stated as he took a seat next to Tony at the table.

Tony wolfed down a huge bite of cake, trying to avoid talking about his food intake any further.

"Doesn't that combination of food taste disgusting? Pickles, tomato sauce, and chocolate? Yuck!" the larger man grimaced as he imagined the mixture becoming volatile in Tony's stomach.

"It's actually pretty good, Steve, otherwise I wouldn't be eating it!" Tony retorted, agitation lacing his force.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. It's just that, well…you haven't been acting like yourself lately…" Steve hesitated, worried that Tony would snap at him again.

"How have I not been acting like myself? I'm completely fine!" the genius replied with his mouth full and little crumbs of cake flew out onto Steve's light blue plaid shirt.

"Well your messy eating has gotten worse, I can tell you that," his fiancé stated with disgust as he wiped the wet, mushy crumbs off of his plaid shirt.

"It has not!" Tony whined as he grabbed a pickle and promptly shoved it in his mouth.

"You're actually making me sick right now… I think I'm going to…" Steve didn't finish his sentence as he ran to the sink and vomited up the sandwich he had eaten earlier.

"And you think I'm disgusting…" Tony snarked as he finished his cake and walked out of the room, leaving the dirty dishes for Steve to clean up.

"Get back here and clean up after yourself! It's your own responsibility and I'm not going to do it!" the super-soldier tried to yell, but his voice was hoarse from vomiting.

The genius ignored him and went to their bedroom and pulled the nameless book out of the nightstand drawer, then immediately plopped down on the bed. He opened it up and carefully removed the first ultrasound photo hidden in the book and examined them both side by side.

_I still can't believe I'll be a dad in a few months… This is just too fucking unreal, _Tony thought as a small smile formed on his face.

The happiness was short lived, however, when he saw Steve barge into the room. He quickly put the book away and laid on his side, waiting anxiously for his fiancé to speak.

"Seriously, Tony! Just clean up your mess! How hard is it for you to be responsible!" Steve yelled as he threw his arms up in the air in frustration.

"Steve, not now. I'm exhausted and need to take a nap. I had a long meeting today and I really don't want to deal with anything right now," Tony replied calmly as he put a pillow over his eyes.

He heard Steve sigh loudly, then slowly walk over and lay down on his side next to Tony, putting his hand on the genius' chest. Tony flinched, afraid that Steve was going to hit him again.

"I never did apologize for the other day… I'm sorry I get so possessive sometimes. It's just that lately you've had this, uh, glow around you that seems to make people even more attracted to you. I can't really put my finger on it, but it's making me feel more territorial," Steve said as he traced circles around the arc reactor.

"Yep," Tony replied, sitting motionless with the pillow on his head.

"You know I didn't mean to leave bruises… And I'm sorry I yelled at you about the dishes. It just irritates me when you leave them out, and you know that. I want you to take care of them for me, okay?" Steve said softly and he pulled the pillow away from Tony's face.

Tony was tearing up with frustration. He wanted to tell Steve about the pregnancy and get it all out in the open, but he couldn't do it. He wanted Steve to stop making up excuses for his abusive behavior, but he knew the super-soldier wasn't going to realize the extent of his actions anytime soon. Tony was just tired of dealing with all of his hormonal emotional mood-swings and Steve at the same time.

Steve saw small tears rolling down his fiancé's cheeks and swiftly wiped them away, then pulled Tony close. He planted several kisses to his forehead, trying desperately to make up for his sporadic violent outbursts.

"Please tell me what's going on. I know something's been bothering you this past month, but you won't talk to me about it. You've been withdrawn. I try to get your attention, and it just seems like you're off in your own little world. It makes me upset, Tony…" Steve sighed as he opened up about his feelings.

"Well the way you try to get my attention isn't the right way, Steve," Tony said flatly, refusing to even look at his fiancé.

"You're right, getting angry isn't good for us… But you need to start talking to me, Tony. Just tell me what's on your mind, and we can move past this," Steve replied, wishing that the genius would at least glance his way.

"I'm just tired of you being so damn jealous all of the time! Then you take it out on me, and right now I really don't have the energy to fight with you about it. I'm not going to leave you for anyone, so why do you have to treat me like shit?" Tony questioned, his brow furrowing in anger.

"I'm just afraid," was all Steve could utter out before he began to cry.

Tony brought Steve to his chest and gently ran his fingers through the super-soldier's hair as he cried. He was so emotionally wound up that he began to bawl, his tears spilling all over his fiancé's hair. The two sat together sobbing for over half an hour, unable to control themselves.

"What have we become? This isn't us at all. We're supposed to be happy, not fighting and crying over stupid things," Steve sniffled, wiping off the last of his tears.

"I don't know, but I know I don't fucking like it. This is not how I want our relationship to be. You need to promise me you'll take time to calm down before you confront me about things; I can barely sit because of the bruises you gave me a few days back…" Tony sighed, resisting the urge to rub his lower back.

"Listen, if I seem like I'm going to get angry like that please just tell me to back off. I'll work on it and keep myself in line, but sometimes you'll need to set me straight," Steve said with a half-smile.

"Okay. There's a lot more to it than that, but it's a start… And Steve, there's something I'd like to tell you," Tony said, finally turning his head to face his fiancé.

"What?" Steve asked, wondering what it could possibly be.

Before Tony was able to tell Steve the big news, he got sick to his stomach and puked all over the bed and Steve, slamming their conversation to a halt.


	30. Chapter 30

Tony was sitting on the bed balancing a box of donuts on his growing belly, licking custard from his fingers from a Boston crème donut when Steve came into the room. He was so focused on a delicious donut with cherry icing and sprinkles that he didn't notice the super-soldier standing at the foot of the bed.

"Tony, we need to talk," Steve said bluntly as he folded his muscular arms on his chest.

"Jesus, Steve! We need to talk about you not sneaking up on me! You made my drop my donuts!" the genius whined, saddened that the last three sugary morsels ended up on the floor.

"I didn't. You were just too focused on eating to notice me… Which seems to be occurring a lot lately," the larger man mumbled to himself as he sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at the ruined sweets.

"That's not true!" Tony protested as he slowly got onto his knees and shuffled over to his fiancé and hugged him tightly.

"Yes it is. We haven't even had sex in two weeks! This isn't like you at all! Normally you're begging me for it at least once a day," Steve said, frustration and sadness laced in his voice.

"It's not you, Cap, it's me. I just haven't really felt like doing much of anything," Tony replied, looking down at his tummy.

"You haven't been feeling well because you haven't worked out in a while, and it's time to get back into it. After all, you never know when we'll be summoned for a mission again," the super-soldier said delicately, taking care not to offend Tony.

"So, you're saying that I'm fat? Well I thought you said you loved me for me, not for my smoking hot body!" Tony sassed, upset by what Steve had implied.

"Tony, of course I love you for you, and that's never going to change. But I think you need to get back into a workout routine," the super-soldier said softly as he gently stroked the scars on the billionaire's face.

"Well, uh, about that…" Tony tried to respond, but he was cut off in mid-sentence.

"Let's get started right now! I've already got it all planned out. Training with me might give you some motivation!" Steve beamed as he grabbed his fiancé by the arm and led him out of bed.

"Put on your workout clothes and meet me in the gym in ten minutes," the super-soldier said with a big smile before heading out of the room.

_Damn… Does he even know how hard it is not to fuck his brains out? It's taking all I have not to. I just don't know if he could be gentle enough not to hurt the little guy… or girl. And working out? Jesus this is going to end badly. I need to come out and say it! _Tony decided, though he did not feel confident or ready to take that leap.

Tony walked into the gym and saw Steve jumping rope. He saw the big grin on his lover's face, and he instantly had a sinking feeling in his stomach. The genius knew he was going to get the most intense workout of his life.

"Listen, Steve, I don't think I can really do this because… I-I am…" Tony tried to come out with the truth, but his voice faltered and the words simply could not leave his lips.

"You're just a little nervous, I can tell. Don't worry, I won't overexert you. Now let's warm up, and then we'll do something I know you'll enjoy!" Steve exclaimed, excited that Tony was finally paying some attention to him.

The two stretched, did some jumping jacks, jogged in place, and jogged for a half a mile for their warm up. Tony was feeling alright, though he was worried about how much stress this was putting on their child. He never did ask Martin what he was and was not allowed to do during his pregnancy.

"Now for the best part!" Steve said as he pulled out some wraps and boxing gloves.

_Fuck. It's now or never… _Tony thought to himself, though his nerves got the better of him and he was unable to tell Steve about his condition.

The super-soldier handed Tony his dark red and gold boxing gloves and his black wraps, and then Steve put on his own blue and white gloves and red wraps.

"Let's go a few rounds. I know you're great at boxing, and this will be a fun way for you to get back into the swing of things," Steve said as he got into the ring.

"Was that a pun? Because I'll be swinging at you," Tony joked as he joined his partner on the platform.

The two circled around the ring, neither one making a move for what seemed like an eternity. Tony was on the defensive; he didn't want to hit Steve unless absolutely necessary, and he was terrified that the larger man would lose control and beat him badly enough that he'd lose the baby.

Steve started the match with a powerful punch, but luckily Tony was able to evade it. He bobbed and weaved around the super-soldier's punches, not throwing any of his own.

"Come on, Tony! This is your favorite sport, you can't just dodge me. Show me what you're made of," Steve taunted, shifting back and forth on his feet.

Tony, not one to back away from a challenge even when he knows better, landed a right hook to Steve's face, catching him a little off guard.

"Now there's the man I like to see!" the larger man said with a twisted grin as the match became heated.

The two barely landed any hits on each other, as they were both skilled in the sport. While they were boxing, however, something snapped in Tony and he began to think about the past.

His mind flashed back to the beautiful, bright gym in Taskmaster's underground lair. He remembered being unable to defend himself because he was in so much pain, and he began to panic. Tony never wanted to be that vulnerable again, and in his mind his fiancé's face morphed into the mercenary's.

Tony began to swing his fists furiously, unable to break free from the post-traumatic out delusion. He hit Steve several times in the face, though the majority of his punches made no contact. The blind rage was cut short, however, when Steve landed a powerful uppercut to Tony's jaw, knocking him out cold.

Steve quickly rushed out of the ring and grabbed his water bottle, which was filled with the ice cold liquid. He hopped back on the mat, got down on his knees and cradled Tony's body in his arms. He poured the cold water on his fiancé, hoping it would wake him up.

"Get the fuck away from me, you son of a bitch! You're not going to rape me again, Taskmaster!" Tony screamed as he squirmed out of Steve's hands.

Steve tried to reach for him, but Tony kicked him in the mouth and swiftly fled the room.

"Tony, wait!" Steve cried out as blood oozed from his busted lip and tongue, which he chomped down on from the power of Tony's kick.

The genius felt as if his arc reactor was going to explode from his chest as he made it to his lab. He had Jarvis lock the door and hid in the bathroom, desperately trying to catch his breath. The entire room changed before his eyes, becoming the interrogation room in the bunker. He saw the gooey corpse in the corner and two dead henchmen face-down next to him. Tony let out a blood-curdling scream and curled up into a ball, trying to protect himself from his own delusion.

Steve heard the scream and swiftly got up off of the boxing ring floor. Knowing that Tony would take refuge in his lab, the super-soldier made his way down to the workroom, ignoring the blood dripping from his chin and staining his white cotton workout shirt. He unlocked the lab door and carefully inspected the room, trying to find where the genius was hiding.

"Captain Rogers, Master Stark is in the bathroom to your left. I have unlocked the door for you," Jarvis said, startling Steve.

Without skipping a beat, Steve barged into the room and saw Tony on the floor. He was holed up in the corner with his eyes glued shut, screaming for the imagined villains to let him go.

Steve slowly got down on the floor and crawled over to his lover, taking care not to worsen Tony's episode. He gently and quietly sat next to Tony and began to speak.

"Tony, you're going to be okay. You're at home, and Taskmaster is in prison. No one is going to hurt you; I'm going to keep you safe. Captain America's got you," the super-soldier said softly as he gently rubbed Tony's back in small circles.

The billionaire slowly opened his eyes and realized that he was safe and sound back in his tower. He recognized the bathroom and no longer saw dead bodies beside him. As he eyes continued to focus, Tony looked over and saw Steve, who looked incredibly worried. When he saw the dried blood on his mouth and t-shirt, he started to panic again.

"Steve, what happened to you? What happened to me? Did we get attacked?" Tony asked as his eyes widened in terror.

"No, we're okay, Tony. You just had a little panic attack, that's all. I didn't know that boxing brought back memories…" Steve sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"I don't remember anything, Steve. I must have blacked out," Tony replied as he rubbed his eyes with his fists.

"It's better you don't…" Steve said to himself as he carefully helped Tony up off of the floor and led him to the living room.

He motioned for Tony to lie down on the couch and briefly went to the kitchen. He came back with a mug of hot cocoa and handed it to the genius, who barely gave it time to cool before throwing it back.

"Thanks, Steve. I don't know what happened, but if you were bleeding because of something I did I'm really sorry," Tony said apologetically, feeling emotionally drained.

"No, you didn't do it, I tripped and fell out of the boxing ring," the super-soldier lied, trying to spare Tony from any feelings of guilt.

"You're a shitty liar. I know it was my fault… I must have popped you pretty good!" Tony joked, trying to take the tension away.

"You've got a mean right hook, Tony," Steve grinned, relieved that his fiancé was trying to find humor in the situation.

"Yeah I do. You should see me and Happy go a few rounds. I get him every time with that move," Tony said cockily as he put his hands on his belly.

"Now, I have to ask you this, Tony. I'm not trying to make you feel self-conscious, but why have you been eating so much food?" Steve asked hesitantly as he touched Tony's little belly, unsure of how to broach the subject.

"It's because, well… I-I turn to it for comfort," Tony answered, angry with himself for still not coming out with the truth.

"I'm sorry I haven't really been doing enough for you, Tony. I know I've taken out my frustration on you from time to time, and I'm sure I'm at least in part responsible. I'm going to toss out all of the junk food and buy some groceries and cook you nutritious meals from now on. I'll plan out an eating schedule if necessary to help you get over this," Steve vowed as he took Tony's hands in his.

"Thank you, Steve, I appreciate it. I'm going to have to buy you an apron that says 'kiss the cook'. And you're going to get plenty of those…" Tony said with a grin as he kissed Steve on the cheek.

"I'm glad you're feeling better. Now you go lay in bed; I'll meet you there in a little while," Steve said with a smile, thankful that Tony was acting like himself again.

Tony eased himself off of the couch and lumbered into their bedroom, slowly lowering himself onto the bed. He pulled the ancient book from the nightstand drawer and opened to the page that contained the two ultrasound photos.

_I owe it to my little baby to tell Steve. I'm going to do it as soon as Steve comes in. I can do this, _Tony thought to himself, feeling a brief burst in confidence.

"Hey Tony, I've seen you reading that book quite a bit, what is it?" Steve asked as he sauntered into the room.

"It's just an old manual, Cap. And I have to tell you…" Tony tried to break the news Steve, but he was immediately distracted when he looked up at his fiancé.

He was wearing a pair of dark blue lace panties and a black garter belt, complete with fishnet stockings.

"You like it? From looking at your pornography I figured out that you have a thing for women's lingerie…" Steve said with a grin as he made his way over to Tony.

The genius completely lost his train of thought at the sight, and soon the thought of the baby was forgotten altogether when Steve straddled him, bringing their lips together in a passionate kiss.


	31. Chapter 31

After Tony's PTSD attack, things had improved between Steve and Tony. Tony researched exercises that were safe and not too exhilarating during pregnancy, and he was keeping a routine. His fiancé cooked balanced meals for him almost every day, and he only snuck a donut once, which Steve promptly took from his hand and threw away. They hadn't fought at all since then, and Steve was acting like the sweet, loving, and compassionate man that the genius knew he was.

Tony was now exactly three months into his pregnancy, and he still was unable to tell Steve. After the day of the big reveal, Tony really wished he had told him right from the beginning.

Steve would often catch Tony reading that so-called "manual" at random points in the day, but he never flipped open to a new page. It was always the same. Steve was curious to see what Tony had been "reading" for the past few months, so he pulled out the drawer of the nightstand and removed the nameless book. When he opened it up, two small black and white photos fell out onto the floor. The super-soldier picked them up and examined them, but he could not make out what the image was supposed to be.

"Captain Rogers that is a picture of an ultrasound test. When someone is pregnant, they use a machine to examine the fetus and see how far along the person is. These photographs were taken when the person was in week four and in week eight of their pregnancy," Jarvis responded.

He stood there in shock, unable to process all of his feelings. Steve wasn't sure what to think of the photograph, and he felt sick to his stomach.

_This whole time, Tony was cheating on me. I can't believe it… He couldn't have at least used a condom with that woman? I thought he wasn't even interested in ladies anymore. Tony is dead! _Steve thought to himself as he threw the book across the room in rage.

Tony rushed into the room after he heard the thud of the book against the wall. When he stepped in the room, he saw Steve holding the ultrasound pictures and his skin was flush with anger.

"Steve, what are you looking at?" Tony said nervously as he cautiously stepped toward his boyfriend. He placed a hand on the larger man's shoulder, and when Steve turned around Tony was terrified to see the fury in his eyes.

"So you think it's okay to go out, fuck some woman and get her pregnant. I thought you changed, but you're just a disgusting, filthy liar! If you didn't want me, why in the hell did you say yes when I proposed? I have never, ever, been this angry in my whole damn life. I love you more than anything in the world, and then you just stomp on my heart like it's nothing. You just want to keep me around because you like the sex… Well, hell, it's not even that apparently, because you need to get your sexual needs met elsewhere from the looks of it. Now you tell me who this woman is right now Tony!" Steve yelled as grabbed Tony by the neck and slammed him against the wall.

"I swear, Steve, this isn't what it looks like! It's really not! I've just been afraid to tell you what's going on…" Tony tried to choke out the explanation, but Steve interrupted him.

"You've been terrified to tell me that you found someone else? Of course, that must be truly difficult to do to someone. You've never had trouble with it in the past. You just walked the streets, looking for cheap dames and expensive spirits. I have no idea why I thought you and I could grow old together. We've been through so much these past three months, Tony. I thought you were the one and only person for me, and I know once you're out of the picture I'm never going to look for another person, because you can't be replaced. You ripped my heart out and tore it into pieces, I hope you're happy with yourself!" the super-soldier wailed as he slapped Tony across the face, instantly leaving a deep red mark.

"Jesus Christ, Steve! I would never cheat on you, I fucking love you! There is no one else that I want to be with. You should know me by now. I would never commit to you if I didn't think I could handle it. You are, without a doubt, the only person who has been able to make a positive impact in my life. Now please just let me explain why I have the ultrasound pictures!" Tony snapped, several stray tears running down his face from the searing pain of the slap.

"You know what? No. There is nothing you can say to fix this. You've been lying to me, Tony, and there is no possible way that you can convince me otherwise. I have forgiven you for quite a few things, but this is just impossible," Steve uttered out as he let go of the genius, sending him crashing down to the floor.

"I'm pregnant, Steve," Tony sighed as he slouched against the wall, rubbing his tender throat.

"What in the hell are you talking about? Only women can get pregnant, and the last time we slept together I'm pretty sure you didn't have a vagina… But you have been getting a little chubby lately, maybe you should stop eating so much," Steve said rudely as a sadistic grin formed on his face.

"Wow that was a low-blow. I know you're angry, but you're still better than that. I'm just going to pretend you never said that… But the weight gain is because I'm PREGNANT, and that's the truth," Tony replied, raising his hand as if he was giving a scout's honor.

"Using something like that as a messed up excuse for you gaining weight is pretty pathetic, Tony. There is absolutely no way you can be pregnant. Stop saying that you are, it's making me sick… Though I did hope that one day we could adopt a child," the larger man said under his breath, hoping Tony didn't hear what he said.

"Well, we have a child of our own on the way. Actually, we did, because I think it's best that I get an abortion. I can't deal with this, and you certainly don't want to. If it's not going to get the love it deserves, it shouldn't be brought into this world," Tony mumbled as he rubbed his growing belly.

"Making up more lies… Do it. It's not like it's real anyway. This is all in your head, Tony, don't you see that!" Steve exclaimed as he got down on Tony's level and shook him.

"Stop abusing me, Steve! You're going to hurt me and the baby!" Tony shouted as he quickly crawled away from the super-soldier.

"God you're a piece of work. Well get out of here and get your 'abortion' Tony!" Steve hissed as he got up and kicked Tony hard in his left leg.

"Fuck you, Steve!" Tony cried out in pain and gripped his leg, a large bruise forming instantly.

He quickly hobbled out of the room and called Happy, and several minutes later he arrived to pick up the genius.

"Take me back to that clinic. I'm going to have Martin meet us there," Tony directed, feeling more hurt and miserable than he ever had in his life.

_God, I actually WANT this baby… What am I doing? Am I really going to go through with this? Why couldn't Steve have just listened to me? I know I used to sleep around, but he should know that I actually care about him. Maybe it's best if I have this abortion… I could take pictures and prove to Steve that I actually was pregnant. Or I could tell Martin to get Steve to come and he can prove it to him. I'll pretend I'm going to go through with this to make him feel bad for abusing me. If he's going to treat me like this when he's mad, maybe I should just leave his ass… I know he has a tendency to get violent sometimes, but I kind of like it sometimes. But I can't feel that way if I've got a baby on the way. I don't even know what to do anymore, _Tony thought to himself before calling Martin.

Steve was sitting on the floor with the pictures in hand when Jarvis told him he had a phone call.

"Captain Rogers, Master Stark's doctor is on the line," the A.I. said.

"I guess I'll take the call," Steve replied as he took his cell phone out of his pocket.

"I am sending someone to get you, Steven. You need to talk Tony out of getting an abortion. This is a medical marvel, and I would hate for him to terminate the pregnancy," the doctor said and promptly hung up.

_What is going on? This can't be happening! They're all just messing with my head. This is some cruel, sick joke he's playing on me, and he's even got his doctor involved… I've got to see this, _Steve decided and waited to be picked up.

"He's on his way, Anthony. Do you really want to do this?" Martin asked with a sad tone of voice.

"No, of course not. I'm going to be a good father, and I'm going to prove to everyone that I am capable of taking care of a child. I just want Steve to see how much he hurt me today. Now let's pretend that we're actually going to perform the abortion. Get me prepped up," Tony commanded, feeling a little ashamed that he was manipulating Steve.

"I honestly am against the idea, Anthony, but in this circumstance I suppose it is necessary," the doctor replied hesitantly.

Fifteen minutes later, the super-soldier barged into the room with a furious look on his face. He was enraged, and Tony was afraid he was going to beat him again.

"Doctor Westenberg, prove to me that Tony's pregnant right now!" Steve yelled, seething with anger.

"Okay, Steven. Nurse, start up the ultrasound machine and get started," Martin directed with a small smile on his face.

"You think this is funny, doctor? It's not. Get that smile off of your face!" Steve roared as he raced over to Tony's side.

Martin didn't respond to Steve's demands and instead focused on the ultrasound screen.

Several agonizing minutes later, their child showed up on the screen. There was no doubt that there was actually a viable fetus in Tony's body at this point. The baby was moving a little bit, and the doctor smiled, thankful that Tony didn't go through with the termination procedure. He printed off a picture of Steve and Tony's unborn child and handed it to the super-soldier.

Steve fell to his knees and covered his face in his hands, letting the ultrasound photograph float to the ground. He began to sob loudly and uncontrollably, and his body shook. He was disgusted with himself for not believing Tony, and it killed the super-soldier inside to know that he physically assaulted his partner.

"Oh God! What have I done? I'm so sorry, Tony, for everything! I don't even know what to think about all of this… I can't believe I let my anger get the best of me. I am so sorry I choked you and said all of those terrible things. I hope I didn't hurt the baby… I'm a horrible person!" Steve howled, his blubbering making it difficult to understand him.

Tony slowly got off of the examination table and sat on the ground next to Steve. He wrapped his arms around Steve and pulled him close, the genius putting his head on his lover's shoulder.

Martin and the nurse swiftly left the room, giving the two some privacy.

"Steve, calm down. You need help, there's no doubt about it. I will never, ever let you do that to me again, especially because we have a child on the way. It's okay to be rough when we're fucking, but not when you're pissed off at me. My leg and face are bruised pretty badly from you hitting and kicking me. Until you can get your anger under control, I'm going to have to cut you out of my and our child's life," Tony stated bluntly, fighting back the urge to deck Steve in the face.

"I-I know I do… I don't want to hurt you like that ever again. I just got so burnt up from the idea of you sleeping with someone else that I just lost it. After the incident with the stripper, I guess I just instantly assumed you were going back to your old ways. I was just scared I was going to lose you," the super-soldier sniffled, feeling as if his stomach was in knots.

"That thought never should have crossed your mind. You need to trust me," Tony said as he hugged Steve tighter to his body.

"How can I let myself fully trust you when you didn't even tell me about you being pregnant with my child, which I still don't even understand how it's possible. You need to be honest with me and not hide things from me anymore. No more lies, no matter how hard it is to tell me the truth, just spit it out," Steve chided as he gently caressed Tony's hands.

"I'm working on it, Steve. I was just in so much shock from the news that I couldn't even fathom how I was going to tell you. I'm sorry for that, Steve. But you need to learn how to control yourself when you're angry. I get that I'm yours and you're possessive and get jealous when you think someone else is so much as looking at me. It's just your nature to protect the things you love, but you're quick to think I've done something wrong all the time, and that's not fair to me. I hate that you've left me absolutely no choice but for us to be apart for a while…" Tony said, sadness lingering in his voice.

Steve slowly turned around to face Tony and looked him straight in his eyes. What Tony saw was a mixture of anger and guilt in his wet, reddened eyes, and he was a little afraid of what the super-soldier was about to say.

"I have to be honest with you, I just have a difficult time when I see possible signs that you've been with someone else. I just get so angry when I think that you could be fooling around with someone else, and I'm so afraid to lose you that I let my jealousy get the best of me. I used to be so good at keeping things to myself, but since I've been with you, that's changed. Some of it's for the better, but this isn't. After losing everyone from my past, I feel like you're the only person I have, and all of the anger and frustration of getting used to all of these new things is just coming out… So please don't leave me, I need you!" Steve choked out, his voice a bit hoarse from sobbing.

"With my past, I guess I can understand why you feel that way, but you need to learn to trust me more than you do now. I'm not going to cheat on you, and I don't want to leave you. I've changed a lot for you, Steve. I don't drink much anymore, well not at all right now of course, I don't stay up for days on end, and I don't sleep with anyone but you. I'm pretty sure you should give me a fucking medal for that. And if I'm going to make myself a better person to please you, then you need to do the same. Our relationship isn't going to be one-sided… I've had too many of those," Tony replied bluntly, not allowing himself to tear up.

"I know, Tony, and you're right. It's just hard and I don't know what to do to help myself. Back in my day we had nothing at all, and I don't know where to turn," the super-soldier responded, feeling unsure of himself.

"Turn to me, Steve. Open up and talk to me. Let out these emotions in a constructive way, not through beating me. Paint, draw, sketch, those things really help a lot of people cope with how they feel, and you're good at it. We can always go to counseling too. Not just you, but the both of us. I'm not going to let you go through all of this alone, Steve. We aren't going to be staying in the same place during any of this, though, I need space from you until you're better. Now do you want to change or not? Because if you aren't willing to take these steps then I'm going to have to leave you permanently…" the genius answered, feeling sick that he mentioned separating from the love of his life.

"Yes, I want to fix this part of me. I want to handle this better. We can't have a child in this world if I'm going to be violent when I'm angry. That's not going to be good for you or the baby. I think we should go to counseling and work on this together. I don't want to lose you over this horrific character flaw…" Steve said softly as he embraced his fiancé.

"I love you so much, Steve. Please never make me do this alone. I'm scared," Tony whispered into the larger man's ear as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"I'm afraid too, Tony. This is going to be hard, and I would never leave you to raise our child by yourself. I helped create this life inside of you, and I love you too much to hurt you anymore," Steve said as he pulled away from the embrace and rubbed Tony's stomach, the gel smeared off on his dark gray AC/DC shirt.

"I know you do, and this is why you need to leave. You still have your apartment in Brooklyn; I've been paying rent on it in case you ever need time for yourself. I will have Pepper get you into an anger management class, and I'll have her find a marriage counselor we can see. Now I'm going to go home and get some rest, and I do not want you setting foot anywhere near the tower until you get yourself straightened out," Tony stated as he got up off of the floor and turned towards the door.

"Can I at least call you?" Steve asked as small tears began to roll down his cheek.

"No. And you can keep that ultrasound picture. Put it on the fridge or by the bed to keep all of this in perspective. Bye, Steve," Tony replied before he slowly hobbled out of the clinic.

Steve just sat on the floor, staring absently at the picture of their future child. He didn't know how to fix himself, but he was determined to change. He couldn't continue to verbally and physically abuse Tony and then just apologize for it later or act like it never happened. It was time to work on himself, and the stakes of what he could lose if he didn't change were higher than ever.


	32. Chapter 32

After discussing the pregnancy with Martin and receiving an explanation of how it occurred, Steve left the clinic and was driven back to his Brooklyn apartment. When he walked inside, he was surprised to see a sleek new laptop sitting on top of his desk. There was an envelope lying beside the computer, and the super-soldier's name was neatly written on the front

_Hmm, that's odd. Tony must have brought the laptop here a few months ago in case I needed it. But it looks like it's straight out of the box… Maybe this letter will explain it, _Steve thought to himself as he carefully opened up the envelope with a letter opener.

The note was written neatly on light gray stationary with little Iron Man designs adorning the corners. On the bottom of the paper was the Stark Industries logo, and Steve immediately realized the note was from his fiancé. He was afraid to read it, as he was unsure if it would contain good or bad news. The super-soldier hesitated for several minutes, pacing around the room trying to decide whether or not it was a good idea. After weighing the pros and cons of reading the note, Steve decided to satisfy his curiosity and see what Tony had to say.

"Here is a great therapist who can help you with your anger issues. Give her a call and set up an appointment. I scheduled our first couples counseling appointment exactly one month from now, so I'll see you then. Get better for me, Steve, I love you." The note had the therapist's name, number, and the address of her practice written on the bottom.

Reading those words made Steve feel sick inside. He didn't want to have to go a month without seeing Tony; a week was torture enough. Steve understood that Tony was a man who believed in tough love, and this was certainly the strategy he was using to help motivate the super-soldier into learning to cope with his destructive emotions. It hurt him more than anything to realize that he was capable to treating his partner like a punching bag, and he was ready to change. He didn't want to lose Tony and their unborn child because of his outbursts.

Steve dialed the number that Tony wrote down for him, and after the second ring a woman with a loud, booming voice answered the phone.

"Hello, this is Doctor Fen Lin," the woman said loudly, her voice alone intimidating Steve.

"Uh, hi. My name is Steven Rogers and I'd like to schedule an appointment with you sometime this week. I need to work on my anger and I was told you're the right person to go to," Steve responded hesitantly, still feeling uncomfortable with the idea of sharing his feelings with a stranger.

"Yes, Anthony Stark told me that you would be calling me today. Will tomorrow at two in the afternoon work for you? He told me that you wanted to get started right away," the therapist responded immediately.

"Sure, that will work just fine. How much will I owe you per session?" Steve asked, hoping it wasn't going to cost too much.

"Anthony is paying for your visits, so you will not need to worry about that. I will see you tomorrow at two p.m." Doctor Lin replied, and then promptly hung up, not even giving Steve time to say thank you.

_I can't believe that he's doing this for me. I figured I was going to have to do this all alone… I guess he really did mean it when he said he wanted to help me. I'm going to prove to Tony that I can do this and get back to being my old self again. Now that he's pregnant, goodness that's still weird to say, I really need to change, _Steve thought to himself as he sat down and opened up the laptop.

The computer quickly turned on and Steve was shocked by the desktop background photograph. It was a black and white picture that Jarvis must have taken of the couple while they were in bed together several days ago. They were naked and spooning, the genius playing the role of the little spoon. Steve and Tony's hands were intertwined and resting on the smaller man's growing belly. They were looking deep into each other's eyes and smiling softly, and it seemed as if he intuitively knew his fiancé was pregnant.

Steve burst into tears when he saw the picture, deeply saddened that Tony wasn't alongside him. He wanted to get on his knees in front of the genius and press his face into his growing tummy and whisper sweet nothings to the child inside. The super-soldier wanted to tell Tony how much he loved him and how excited he was that they created a life, but he couldn't. Steve respected his fiancé's desire to be left alone, no matter how much it tore him up inside not to be able to hear Tony's voice.

He sat there for what seemed like hours as he stared at the picture, letting his tears flow freely down his reddened cheeks. Everything seemed hopeless, and he wasn't sure if therapy was going to make a difference. Even though the note gave him hope that in a month everything would go back to normal, he still had doubt that Tony would allow him to be a part of their child's life. Steve had never been so close to having a family of his own, and the picture made him terrified that he had lost it before he even had a chance to be involved.

"Captain Rogers, do not cry. Everything will work itself out," a familiar voice said with a British accent.

"J-Jarvis, is that you?" Steve sniffled, trying to figure out where the voice was coming from.

"Yes, sir. Master Stark had my software installed into your computer," Jarvis replied matter-of-factly.

Steve instantly perked up, excited to have some semblance of his life at the tower with him in Brooklyn. It comforted him immensely, and he wiped away the tears from his red, puffy eyes.

"It's nice to hear your voice again, Jarvis," Steve said, a small grin forming on his face.

"It is also a pleasure to hear yours as well, Captain Rogers," the A.I. replied, sounding almost cheerful.

After of few minutes of sitting in complete and utter silence, Steve began to wonder why Tony gave him the computer in the first place. The photograph was heart wrenchingly beautiful, and he understood that Tony was using it as a tool of motivation. But giving him comfort in the form of Jarvis? That didn't make any sense to him at all.

"Jarvis, why did Tony program you into the computer?" Steve asked, hoping the A.I. would answer his question.

"You will have to ask Master Stark," Jarvis responded, his answer not surprising the super-soldier.

Steve, feeling confused and a bit disappointed, decided it was best to just go to bed and try to forget everything that had happened. He laid there, wide awake, praying for sleep to come. He tried counting sheep, drinking warm milk, and playing white noise on his laptop, but nothing worked.

_I have a feeling I'm not going to sleep at all tonight… I wonder how my appointment is going to go tomorrow. I'm going to listen to every single word she says, and I'm going to change. No more jealous Steve, no more possessive Steve, no more VIOLENT Steve… Just Steve. God I just want to go home, _Steve thought to himself as he tossed and turned on the old mattress, wishing he was warm and safe in the bed he shared with Tony.

Steve arrived to his appointment right on the dot at Doctor Fen Lin's practice, sweating profusely as he waited for her to call him back into her office. The waiting room consisted of a small, cream colored couch, rusty-red stucco walls, and a shiny light brown floor made out of pine. There was a painting of sunflowers in a mason jar on the wall to the left of the couch, and on the right was a small glass table with random magazines scattered on top. The magazines were all outdated, and on the bottom of the pile Steve found an old "National Enquirer" with him and his fiancé kissing on the cover. He swiftly took the magazine, rolled it up, and put it in one of the inner pockets in his jacket.

"Steven, you can come in now," the therapist said as she opened the door to her small office.

The room contained a black, cushy chair in the left corner and a dark gray couch in the right. The floor was soft, white carpet, and the walls were light gray stucco. There was a coffee table in front of the couch with a box of tissues on top, and a trash can sitting next to it. On the left of the door was a large bookcase, filled with psychological journals and self-help books.

Steve took a seat on the couch, and Fen sat down in the plushy black chair. He studied her closely, trying to size her up. She was about 5'6, had long flowing black hair, and small, slanted hazel eyes. Steve wondered if she was a body-builder, because he could see the curves of her muscular biceps in her dark red blazer and the toned muscle in her calves through her black tights.

"Yes, my appearance must surprise you, but we really don't have time for you to continue staring at me," Fen said bluntly, causing Steve to blush a deep shade of red.

"S-sorry, ma'am. I just haven't seen many muscular women in my life," the super-soldier answered quietly as he looked down at his black dress shoes.

"Well, now you've seen one. So why are you here?" the therapist asked as she jotted down a few notes on her notepad.

"I want to get better," Steve said softly, looking up at her with puppy-dog eyes.

"Well you have to tell me what's wrong first or I can't help you," Fen replied harshly, surprising Steve a little.

"I get angry sometimes and take it out on people who don't deserve it," the super-soldier responded, feeling ashamed of himself.

"So do you physically or emotionally abuse Anthony?" Fen questioned, looking at Steve with such intensity he thought she was going to steal his soul.

"It's, uh, physical," Steve responded, feeling more uncomfortable by the minute.

"I bet you can do some real damage with your physique… Anthony may be tough but I don't really see how he could put up much of a fight against you," Fen stated, making Steve feel even guiltier about his abusive behavior.

"I'm terrible for treating him this way. He'll just get me so worked up sometimes that I just snap. Sure I've always had a bit of a temper, but ever since I rescued Tony I've just felt more protective of him. It's almost like I believe that I'm going to lose him for good if I don't set him straight…" the super-soldier blurted out, quickly covering up his face with his hands to hide his shock.

"Now when do you feel that you have to 'set him straight'?" Lin asked after a few moments, waiting for Steve to look at her again.

"When I think that he might want someone more than me…" Steve replied, a single tear slowly creeping down his cheek.

Before the therapist could continue to ask questions, Steve spilled out everything that he was feeling, unable to hold back any longer.

"He slept with so many people before we were together, and I've told him that I don't care about his past but it really bothers me sometimes. Tony has a lot of experience, and I'm worried that he might get bored with me and leave for good. I lost so much when I was frozen, and when I met Tony, he became my everything. I love him too much to lose him, and I know what I'm doing is going to push him away. Hell, I'm not even living with Tony right now. He kicked me out for a month until I can get my act together, and he's right. I can't be like this anymore, and I won't be like this anymore!" Steve exclaimed as he ran his hands through his hair, bewildered that he opened up so quickly to a stranger.

"I have a feeling you're going to be one of my easiest patients ever," Fen said with a smirk as she clicked her pen, ready to take more notes.

**Note: Fen Lin is an OC.  
**


	33. Chapter 33

"Jarvis, should I feel bad that I had you record Steve's reaction to the picture of us I put as his background photo?" Tony asked as he sat in his lab, replaying the loop of Steve crying over and over again.

"I do think it is a bit odd that you want to watch Captain Rogers crying, Master Stark," Jarvis replied immediately.

Even though he knew it wasn't right to creep on Steve in a vulnerable moment, he just couldn't help himself. Tony needed to know that his fiancé did feel bad about his transgressions; it would be too much for him to have to wait until their couples counseling in a month. It touched him to see how emotional Steve became at the sight, but at the same time it made him feel a little lonely. There was no one to keep him company except Jarvis, and in the grand scheme of things an A.I. can only be interesting for so long.

He sighed heavily and turned off the video, feeling as if the arc reactor had been ripped from his chest. Tony felt raw and vulnerable, knowing that the one person who made him feel on top of the world was off in another apartment, crying because of Tony's manipulations. Tony intended to make Steve feel sad with the photograph, and it worked. However, he was torn between feeling that it was a motivating tool for his fiancé or that it was a childish ploy to get back at him for the abuse.

_God that hurt him so much… And yet I feel like I'm the bad guy. Steve DESERVES to feel bad for this, and maybe the picture helped him realize that if he doesn't shape up he's not going to be a part of this family. I'll give Fen a call tomorrow and see if he scheduled an appointment. If he doesn't take the help I'm giving him, I'm going to be fucking floored… _Tony thought to himself as he paced around the lab, his left hand resting on his expanding belly.

The next day, Tony called the therapist around five in the evening, an hour after Steve left her office.

"Hey Fen. Did he schedule an appointment yet?" Tony asked, biting his fingernails in anticipation.

"Yes, we just finished up our session not too long ago. I could easily say he's the best patient I've ever had. Opened up and let me read him like a book. I barely had to make an effort. You were right though, he does like commanding and snarky people… Maybe that's why he told me everything so quickly," Fen answered, feeling smug about her accomplishment.

"That's why I picked you, you're great. You're almost like me, just not as rich and famous," Tony quipped, a small laugh escaping his lips.

"Well who got him to talk about all of his feelings? It wasn't you, that's for sure," the therapist retorted jokingly.

"So can you tell me everything he said because I'm paying you or is there still such a thing as 'patient confidentiality'?" Tony asked, wanting to know all of the details of their therapy session.

"Sorry, Tony. You know I can't do that. I can assure you, without a doubt in my mind, that Steve is going to be acting like himself again by the time you have your couples counseling session. Since you and I have already discussed what Steve did to you, it's making this much easier for me to sort this out and give him the assistance he needs. But are you really going to keep him out of your life for an entire month? That seems a little excessive…" Fen stated disapprovingly.

"Look, I really want to drive the point home to Steve. This probably sucks more for me than it does him. I have to hire someone to cook food for me, and it's not going to be as good as what Steve makes. I don't have anyone to snuggle with at night or rub my belly, which I have oddly enough come to enjoy. Wait scratch that last part, it's just a weird kink I have …" Tony rambled, trying to sort out his own feelings.

"Well he did tell me you put a picture of the two of you cuddling on his laptop. He told me that it really knocked some sense into him and he was determined to make things right," the therapist replied, sounding a little hesitant to give him the information.

"I'm glad it worked I guess. I wish me kicking him out would provide a bigger incentive than a picture," the genius replied, feeling flustered about the whole situation.

"Believe me, that definitely has given him motivation. And remember, I'm always here to talk to you if you need it, it affects you just as much as Steve. After all, I got you through a lot of the trauma from your time in Afghanistan, so you know I can help you sort out your feelings for your fiancé," Fen said empathetically, trying to make sure Tony knew she'd always be willing to help.

"Yeah, I know. I've had a few relapses here and there, but you did help quite a bit. Well, I'll let you go and you can continue looking through your notes and 'analyze' Steve," Tony said softly and hung up the phone, shivering at the thought of his kidnapping.

Tony never did talk to her about the second kidnapping. He never talked to her about being raped, or how afraid he was of Steve when he tried to take ownership of him. He didn't mention the way that he pushed the super-soldier away when he tried to apologize for his mistake, and the genius certainly didn't tell her that he was almost raped again and had a panic attack. Not only that, but there was no way he could mention that he lied to Steve for several months, keeping him from knowing about the precious child that they made together.

The genius had a heart wrenching epiphany: he was just as much to blame for their problems as Steve. It made him feel sick to his stomach that he pinned everything on the super-soldier's aggression, and he finally understood that from time to time he egged him on. He knew that not all of the abuse was his fault, but some of it was, like when he flirted with women in front of Steve.

He knew he had to talk to someone, but not a therapist. He needed a friend, so Tony called Pepper to ask for a big favor.

"Pepper, is there any way you can send one of my private jets to Calcutta to bring Bruce here?" Tony asked, his voice faltering.

"Yes, I can arrange that for you Tony. Is everything okay? You seem pretty shaken up," Pepper replied, worried that something terrible happened.

"I-I'm okay, don't worry about me. I just want Bruce to help me with some experiments, since he's one of the few people worth anything in the scientific community," the genius lied, as he didn't want her to worry about him.

"You've distanced yourself a lot from me lately, Tony. I want to know why," the redhead demanded as she sent a message to one of the pilots giving them the coordinates to Bruce's location.

"It's hard to explain, Pepper. I've just been very busy, that's all," Tony replied, trying to act nonchalant about his absence.

"You know I don't believe you. That's a complete lie, and it hurts that you can't just be honest with me…" Pepper said morosely, missing all of the time they used to spend together.

"Listen, I'm not lying. Things have been hectic around the tower, and everything's just been a fucking mess. I'm going to be busy until the end of the month, we'll talk then," the billionaire responded, feeling guilty that he was pushing Pepper away.

"Whatever, Tony," Pepper said harshly and promptly hung up the phone.

_She can't know about the pregnancy, she just can't. If we get together to chat, she's going to know. I need to keep this situation under wraps, and I don't know how she'd take it. She might be pissed with me for lying, but she'd probably be disappointed in me for keeping the baby. I doubt she'd think I could raise a kid… Hell she might think I'll pawn it off on her, like the business. Okay that's just paranoid thinking right there. Fucking hormones… _Tony sighed as he sat down on the living room sofa, feeling sorry for himself.

"Jarvis, what's Steve up to?" Tony asked in a soft, quiet voice.

"He's sketching, sir," Jarvis replied as the A.I. showed him streaming footage of Steve drawing.

Tony looked closely at his fiancé, trying to figure out what he was doodling. He had Jarvis zoom in a little more, and he was surprised to see the super-soldier sketching the photo he set as Steve's laptop background. It was perfectly drawn, and he was shocked at how talented he was. Tony had seen very few of his sketches, and he always wondered why Steve never shared them.

The genius sighed heavily and had Jarvis stop filming Steve. Tony knew if he kept watching him, he'd ruminate even more on the fact that he blamed it all on his lover. He decided it would be best to just fall asleep; after all, their growing baby needed a good night's rest.

"Hey Tony, I'm here. Wake up," Bruce said as he nudged Tony, who was passed out on the couch.

"Damn you scared me Brucey! Don't do that to me," Tony responded, startled by his friend's arrival.

"Well you wanted me here, didn't you? I'm surprised you're asleep at all, I'm used to you sitting in your lab for hours on end. That's where I first looked for you. Have you been eating more than normal?" the scientist asked calmly as he looked down at Tony's belly.

"I'm pregnant, Bruce. Now I know what you're thinking: 'I'm crazy and I'm just chunky and gross.' But Steve seriously knocked me up. It's a marvel in science, really. I'm keeping this a secret from everyone except you, Steve, and my doctor. Well, I was keeping it from Steve and we got into a huge fight…" Tony answered sadly as he sat up on the couch and rubbed his eyes.

"I guess anything is possible. After all, I survived a massive amount of gamma radiation and now have the 'other guy' to deal with. Do you have some ultrasound pictures or anything of the sort so I can see?" Bruce asked with a smile as he helped Tony off of the couch.

"Sure, they're in my bedroom still lying on the floor. Steve dropped them and I just didn't feel like picking them up," the genius replied as they walked to the bedroom.

Bruce picked up the pictures, looking at them in complete awe as he examined them closely. He wasn't sure how to react to the pregnancy, but he was happy that of all people to experience such a medical anomaly, it was Tony.

"Wow, that's fascinating, Tony. I'm happy for you and Steve, and congratulations on the engagement by the way. Pepper informed me that he popped the question and you said yes. The ring looks great, I'm honestly surprised he has such good taste in jewelry. Doesn't seem like the kind of guy to shop around much," Bruce said with a soft chuckle, trying to help Tony loosen up a bit.

"Thanks, Bruce. I swear he'd planned out the proposal his whole life. It was so perfect that I'm still dumbfounded. I don't even know how he managed to surprise me like that. It was fucking incredible," Tony said with a smile as he took the pictures from Bruce and gently ran his fingers around the outline of their child.

"I haven't gotten the chance to congratulate Steve. Where is he right now?" Bruce asked, a little puzzled that Steve wasn't with him, especially since Tony was pregnant.

"I kicked him out for a month. He's staying at his Brooklyn apartment for a while," Tony responded, the words feeling like a vice around his throat.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?" the scientist asked hesitantly, unsure if it was too painful to discuss.

"Well, from time to time he gets really aggressive and he… Hits me. I hid the pregnancy from him until a few days back. I'm at three months now, and he found out from the ultrasound pictures. He thought I was cheating on him, so he kicked me, choked me, and slapped me in the face. I've got the bruises on my face covered with makeup, but look at my neck and leg," Tony answered as he lowered his slate gray sweatshirt around his neck and exposed his left leg.

"I didn't know he was capable of doing such a thing. Those are some horrific bruises… Did he hurt your baby?" Bruce questioned, looking down at Tony's baby bump.

"No, the baby's okay. But I blamed him for everything that happened between us when I was upset. He just hurt me so much that I didn't even take any responsibility for it. He had every right to be pissed at me for hiding it; that was a shitty thing of me to do. And from time to time I do flirt with people, even though it's unintentional. What I did was kind of extreme…" Tony admitted to his best friend as he rubbed the back of his head with his right hand.

"It's understandable on both ends, Tony. When people are upset they don't take the time to think about what they are doing or thinking. Clearly both of you weren't in a rational state of mind when all of this took place. How long are you separated from Steve?" Bruce asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"A month," the billionaire bluntly replied, the words tasting like poison as they left his mouth.

"Don't you think that's a little too long? Honestly I think two weeks would be more than enough, and that's still a long time to be apart in your condition. You need Steve here with you, though I can understand your reservations. Is he getting help?" the scientist asked as if he was evaluating Tony.

"Yes, he's going to a counselor that I used to go to. I was originally going to have Pepper sign him up for an anger management class, but I thought that would be risky for his reputation. Doctor Lin told me he's doing really well, and she strongly believes that Steve's going to get better soon," Tony responded as he joined Bruce on the bed.

"Do you believe it?" Bruce asked as he put his hand on Tony's back, comforting him.

"Yes I do," Tony replied as he turned to look at his friend, a small smile forming on his face.

"I think you know what to do," Bruce replied, and Tony nodded in agreement.


	34. Chapter 34

Bruce stayed with Tony for two weeks, keeping him company and helping him out with everyday tasks. He didn't want to see his best friend alone in his time of need, but it bothered him that he wouldn't just open up the door and let Steve back into his life. The scientist saw how much pain Tony was in, but he knew how stubborn he was. If Tony had his mind made up about something, it wasn't going to change unless someone helped snap him out of it. Bruce tried that the first day he was at the tower, explaining to the genius that he knew he had to make amends and make up with Steve. That didn't go as smoothly as he had anticipated; Tony became angry and frustrated about the whole situation and decided he no longer wanted to talk about it. He knew he couldn't allow the genius to sulk anymore; the stress was not healthy for the child inside, and Bruce couldn't stand to think of the baby suffering.

"So, Tony, how are you feeling today?" Bruce asked calmly as he sat next to Tony at the kitchen table.

"Like shit. I puked this morning, and I'm just exhausted. It's hard to sleep when Steve's not here," Tony replied as he looked at his best friend, exposing the dark circles under his eyes.

"Yes, you really do look ragged. Do you want me to make you some tea?" Bruce asked, trying to be as helpful as possible.

"Yuck, no thanks. That shit's disgusting. God I could go for a nice, big cup of piping hot coffee though…" Tony responded, attempting to get Bruce to comply with his wish.

"No, Tony. I really don't want you drinking a lot of caffeine during your pregnancy. I know once I give you a cup you're going to go on a binge," the scientist answered as he shook his index finger at the billionaire.

"Dammit, you know me too well," the genius said as a small frown formed on his face.

"Sorry to cut in, sir, but Happy is here to take you to your ultrasound appointment," Jarvis said, surprising both Tony and Bruce.

"Shit I completely forgot. I really don't want to go today. Maybe I should just cancel it…" Tony sighed as he stood up slowly.

"Your ultrasounds are very important, Tony, so I strongly advise against it. Do you want me to join you?" Bruce asked, thinking that this might be the time that Tony would crack and forgive Steve.

"Yeah, I'd like that. It sucks to go alone. I did it the first two months, and I don't want to do it again," the genius replied softly as he motioned Bruce to the door.

When the two arrived to the clinic, Martin looked at them intently. He was unsure what to think of Bruce; he believed that Tony may have found another plaything.

"So, Anthony, who is your friend?" Martin asked hesitantly, hoping that what he believed was not true.

"This is my friend Bruce. He's the one that Hulks out. You know, the big green guy," Tony responded, causing the scientist to roll his eyes.

"Nice to meet you, Doctor Westenberg," Bruce said as he shook the doctor's hand.

"Please, just call me Martin. I must say, you're my favorite Avenger," Martin stated with a big grin, showing his relief that Tony hadn't gone back to his old ways.

"Uh, thanks. I'm glad someone likes the 'other guy'," the scientist responded, smiling in return at his fan.

Martin continued to smile as he began the ultrasound, and both Bruce and Tony were staring at the screen in wonder as they saw the baby show up on the screen.

"Wow, you can definitely tell it's a child now. This is incredible," Bruce replied, happy to see that the fetus was healthy and developing properly.

"That's awesome and I'm super glad about it, but Steve's not here…" Tony sighed, revealing how much his fiancé's absence bothered him.

"Where is Steven, Anthony?" the doctor asked as he printed off a picture of the fetus and cleaned up the equipment.

"He's at his apartment in Brooklyn. I sent him there after our fight," the genius replied morosely as he pulled his shirt down over his growing tummy.

"Well it certainly makes sense, Anthony. I would have suggested that you two take some time apart. Is he getting any form of therapy for his outbursts?" Martin asked as he helped Tony off of the examination table.

"Yeah, and he's doing amazing from what the therapist told me. She said he was the easiest patient she's ever had," Tony said as a wave of hope that the man he loved so much had conquered his aggression.

"I'm happy to hear that. Give yourself as much time apart as you need; I know you'll do what's best for you and your unborn child," Martin responded warmly as he patted the genius on the shoulder.

"Thanks, Martin. Just get a hold of me when my next appointment is, I'll see you then," Tony stated before he and Bruce made their way back to the tower.

Steve was sitting at his apartment, sketching what he believed he and Tony's love child would look like when he heard his cell phone go off. He knew immediately who it was, as his ringtone was "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath. It always made him excited when he heard the song, but today he was a little hesitant to check the text message.

"Come home," was all it said, and Steve was unsure what to think of it.

He felt that Tony forcing him to leave the tower was a good thing in the long run, and he didn't know if it was a wise idea to go back yet. Steve had made a lot of progress in his therapy sessions, and whenever he felt sad, angry, or frustrated he would take it out on a punching bag or turn to drawing. He was calm and collected now, as he had come to grips with his problem and put in the effort to fix himself.

Steve did want to go home, but as his therapy sessions progressed he began to think about the way Tony behaved. He was manipulative from time to time and often wouldn't take the blame for his actions. It bothered the super-soldier that he came to this realization, and he wasn't sure if Tony had made any changes himself.

_Should I stay here until the end of the month? Or should I go home and spend time with Tony? I miss him and our baby so much, but if Tony's going to blame me for everything maybe we shouldn't see each other for a while. But everyone makes mistakes, and if I didn't forgive him and move forward we wouldn't have been together at all. He has his flaws, but he's changed a lot for me… I can't imagine how hard it's been for Tony, taking care of himself for the most part and sleeping alone. I know he can't stand it; I know it sure does bother me these days. I guess I'll call someone who can help sort this mess out, _Steve thought to himself as he dialed a number on his phone.

"Hello? I'm kind of in the middle of kicking Putin's ass right now…" Natasha said angrily, the loud screams of the Russian president echoing in the background.

"Oh. I'll just call you another time," Steve responded, a little shocked and horrified by the cries and pleas for help over the phone.

"You have one minute to talk. Then I have to finish my business," the spy stated, her voice returning to its usual emotionless quality.

"Tony and I are fighting, and he kicked me out for a month. It's been two weeks, and Tony texted me to come home. Should I?" Steve asked, worried that she would have something terrible to say.

"Do you love him?" Natasha questioned bluntly.

"Yes," the super-soldier responded with no hesitation.

"Then go home to Tony. Bye, Steve," Natasha replied, and right as the words left her lips the phone call ended.

As soon as she hung up, Steve quickly put on his leather jacket, scooped up all of his sketches, put them in a manila folder and ran out the door. He hopped on his motorcycle and made his way to Manhattan, driving a little faster than necessary.

_I'm glad Tony didn't run me over again… _Steve thought to himself, chuckling a little at the thought as he pulled into their garage.

"Where is Tony?" Steve asked Jarvis the moment he arrived.

"He's taking a bath, Captain Rogers," the A.I. answered, sounding as if he was excited that Steve was back at the tower.

Steve rushed to their bedroom, threw the manila folder on the bed and opened the bathroom door. He found Tony sitting in the soapy water, staring affectionately at him. The two looked at each other lovingly in complete silence, saying nothing in fear that it would ruin the moment Steve slowly removed his clothes and joined the genius in the oversized bathtub without breaking eye contact. The super-soldier sat behind Tony and put his legs on either side of his fiancé's body and hugged him tightly. He began to slowly rub Tony's pregnant belly and kissed his neck tenderly and softly, taking care not to be rough.

A moan escaped Tony's lips as Steve began to lightly move his hands in a circular motion around his tummy, sending shivers down the genius' spine. He took Steve's hands in his and moved them down to his dick, which was fully erect. Steve began to stroke him agonizingly slow, acting as if it was the first time he'd ever touched his fiancé intimately.

Tony reached around and fondled the larger man's cock, taking time to appreciate its length and thickness. After a few minutes, Steve grabbed Tony's hand and pushed it away, and gently lifted the smaller man up so he was sitting on his lap. He positioned his cock at Tony's entrance and slowly pushed himself inside, causing the billionaire to let out a small gasp.

Steve slowly thrust his hips upward, keeping a slow and steady rhythm as he buried his cock deep inside the smaller man's ass. The super-soldier continued to stroke Tony's cock with his right hand in unison with his thrusts, eliciting a small cry from the genius, who came quickly from Steve's touch. The larger man did not last much longer after Tony came, and soon his orgasm pulsed through him, filling his fiancé's ass with cum.

He slowly pulled out of Tony and wrapped his arms around the smaller man, pressing the genius' back to his chest. Tony sunk into Steve as if he was made of jelly, his whole body shaking from their love-making session. He gently placed Steve's hands on his growing belly again, loving the way the super-soldier's rough, calloused hands felt on his skin.

"We missed you," Tony whispered as he turned his head to give Steve a tender kiss on the lips.


	35. Chapter 35

"I'm shocked at how determined you are, Steven. I've never seen someone make this much progress in only a month's time. It's absolutely incredible," Fen stated in awe as she stared at Steve and Tony, who were holding hands on the couch.

"Well, I had quite the motivation. I wasn't going let anything stand in the way of having a healthy relationship with my fiancé and our child," Steve replied with a smile as he pressed a kiss to Tony's cheek.

"I'm just glad that you're back home. To be honest, after a day I was already regretting my decision. I still feel like it was a great idea on my part since you're back to your old self again, but it fucking hurt that I felt like I had no other options," Tony sighed, a little uncomfortable with the idea of sharing his feelings to his partner with a professional around.

"You did have other options, Tony. You just chose the one that allowed us to get past all of this instead of ending our relationship. I know I'm never going to give up on us, and you're too stubborn to call it quits. I love you too much to stay away," the super-soldier admitted, keeping his gaze fixed on his fiancé.

"Well why did you stay away for two weeks, Steve?" Tony questioned, unsure as to what Steve meant by the statement.

"I only was doing as you asked. You gave a specific period of time necessary for me to get better, and I wasn't going to come back until either I made strides in therapy or you wanted me home. If we were still apart after a month, I would have come back and tried to set things right between us. Even if we're physically separated, my love will always be here. Feelings like this never go away," Steve responded with a soft smile, pleased to see one form on Tony's face as well.

"You're such a sap, you know that?" the genius joked, trying to distance himself from the emotions that tempted to bring him to tears.

"Well, it seems like the dynamics in your relationship have improved dramatically You've pointed out Steven's flaws and demanded he work on them, Anthony. So in fairness, it's now Steven's turn to tell you how he feels about you and your actions," the therapist stated, pushing Steve to be honest with himself and his partner.

_I can do this… She gave me the skills to confront Tony without resorting to anger… And violence. It's time to let it all go and bring it out into the open, _Steve thought to himself, taking a deep breath before he began.

"Well, what are you feeling, Steve? I want to know, I'm all ears," Tony said with complete sincerity as he gripped his fiancé's hand tightly.

"Those two weeks away from you gave me plenty of time to clear my head and think about our relationship. After thinking about all of the things that I had done wrong and wallowed in guilt for a while, I had a sudden realization; you tend to blame me for everything that goes wrong. You won't admit when you're at least partially responsible for our fights, and it hurts me a lot to have to say it," Steve admitted, breaking eye contact with Tony and focused on the floor instead.

Tony had come to this conclusion as well while they were separated, but he became angry that Steve brought it up before he could. Instead of calmly agreeing with his lover and working on resolving the problem, Tony went on the defensive.

"I do not! Remember when I ran you over several months ago? I totally apologized and took the blame for it all. You can't say that I don't admit when I'm wrong!" the genius exclaimed, shuddering a little at the thought of the painful memory.

"You can't base your argument on one instance, Tony. There have been countless times where you've pinned all of it on me, like when you held me responsible for your drinking binge. I know it wasn't my fault now. I didn't make you react that way, and I certainly didn't give you alcohol poisoning. While I was responsible for scaring you and showing my aggression and possessiveness in an inappropriate way, I didn't make you leave home. Honestly, I felt guilty and in a way responsible for your kidnapping. And for the, well, you know…" Steve's voice trailed off, not wanting to mention the word rape around his fiancé.

"I came home, didn't I? And I repented for what I did after the fact, which you liked from what I recall," Tony retorted, feeling uncomfortable and a bit nauseous at the thought of his rape and torture.

"See, you're trying to manipulate me into changing my mind right now. It's something that I feel we need to work on together. I don't want you to shut me out of your life, Tony. You act cold towards me sometimes and act as if you're afraid to talk to me. I mean, come on, you hid the most important part of our life together for several months. That was a terrible thing to do to me, and you know it," the super-soldier replied, frustration lacing his voice.

"Okay, fine, I'll admit it. I AM scared, Steve. First of all, you know I have more issues than a magazine stand. Second, I find someone that treats me great for the most part, which obviously is not normal for me. And third, I'm afraid to share some things with you because I don't want you to give up on me," Tony responded, desperately holding back tears.

Tony sighed heavily and stood up, taking his hand away from Steve's. He walked out of the room and entered the bathroom at the end of the hallway. The genius locked the door and sank down to the floor, letting out a whimper. He was completely and utterly disgusted with his behavior, and he began to sob. Tony believed that he was far too old and stubborn to change his ways, though he wanted to improve himself to keep he and Steve's relationship in a satisfactory and pleasant place.

"Tony, let me in," Steve said softly as he knocked on the door gently, taking great care not to show how upset he was.

He knew he couldn't shut Steve out this way; it would only lead to a fight that could cause so much damage that would possibly be irreparable. The genius slowly reached for the door handle and pulled it open, allowing his fiancé to join him in the small, dimly lit room.

Steve got on Tony's level and sat in front of him, delicately placing his hands on the billionaire's belly. He knew how much it soothed Tony, and it made the super-soldier feel as if they were connected not only by their hearts, but by their bodies as well. Steve wiped away Tony's tears and gave him a soft, tender smile, reassuring him that everything would be okay.

"Remember when you and I made love in the bathtub? I never felt closer to you in my life, and I still feel that way right now. My love for you will never go away, and the way I feel about you is going to become stronger and deeper every day. Nothing can change that, Tony, and you need to remember that," the super-soldier said as he pressed a tender kiss to Tony's lips.

"I'm going to work on myself, Steve, but I need you here with me," Tony replied as he looked deeply into his lover's eyes, seeing just how genuine Steve's feelings were.

"Of course. You and I will continue going to counseling as long as it takes for both of us to become the people we need to be. We're going to be together forever, and I can promise you that from the bottom of my heart. Now let's go home, I think you and I both need to relax. I want to hold you in my arms and just cuddle. No talking, no sex, nothing but enjoying each other's warmth and comfort," Steve said as he stood, gently bringing Tony up with him.

Tony nodded and the two left Fen's office hand in hand, feeling hope and promise for their future together.

A month later, the couple's relationship improved dramatically. Whenever they had a disagreement, they talked it through calmly. If Tony needed some time to himself, Steve would let him have it without question, knowing that sometimes it was the genius' best strategy to think his feelings through before he shared them. If the super-soldier became angry, he took his frustration out at the gym, or sat by the window in the living room and sketched, which soothed him. Steve and Tony felt like they did the moment the super-soldier proposed: like two kindred spirits who were finally able to live in harmony with each other.

When it came time for Tony's fifth month ultrasound, however, the two lovers had a bit of a disagreement.

"So, Anthony and Steven, are you ready to find out the sex of your baby?" Martin asked enthusiastically, looking forward to finding out for himself as well.

"Yes!" the two men exclaimed, delighted that the wait was finally over and they could start planning for the child's arrival.

Martin began the ultrasound, teasing Tony a little about how large his baby bump had gotten. All three men laughed at the joke, feeling excited and joyous that they would finally find out what sex Steve and Tony's baby was.

"Aww, it's sucking its thumb!" Tony squealed, feeling giddy that he was able to see the child finally had taken on a human appearance.

"Well, you don't have to use the word 'it' to describe him anymore," Martin said with a big grin as he pointed out the baby's genitalia.

"That's what I always wanted… I can't believe that I'll finally have a family of my own," Steve said, still in complete disbelief that his dream was coming true.

Martin cleaned the gel off of Tony's belly, and Steve put his left hand and head on his fiancé's belly.

"He kicked, and I felt it!" Steve cried out in happiness, overwhelmed with the wonderful emotion.

"I definitely felt it too… And it wasn't that awesome," Tony quipped as a large grin appeared on his face.

"It's nice to see you both happy for a change. It took you long enough," Martin smiled as handed the photograph of the fetus at five months to Steve.

Steve and Tony admired the picture for a while, anticipating what life would be like when their little bundle of joy was born. Now that the two knew what sex their child was, they had to face the next challenge: coming up with a name.

"Well let's go home and figure this out, Steve. I found a large list of baby names to choose from, and I want to take care of this sooner than later," Tony stated as they left the clinic.

"Me too, Tony. After all, you might forget if we don't do it right away!" Steve replied jokingly, and the genius softly slapped him on the back in return before entering the limo, greeting Happy with big smiles.

When they got home, Tony brought up the baby boy names list on two monitors: one for the genius and one for the super-soldier. They were to comprise a list of three of their favorite names, and make a decision from there.

After several hours, the two compared their lists, hoping to have two names that they could both agree upon: one for the child's first name and the other for the middle. The lists went as followed:

Steve's list:

-Robert

-Harry

-Kirk

Tony's list:

-Christopher

-Nick

-Jake

"Are you kidding me, Steve? What in the hell kind of name is Kirk? And Harry just sounds old…" Tony whined, dissatisfied by two of Steve's choices.

"Well, why would you want to name our child Nick or Jake? I hear them way too often in this century. They're just way too popular for my taste," Steve retorted, feeling insulted by Tony's reaction.

"I guess we're just going to have to throw out Christopher and Robert then, too. I actually think those names are pretty great and have a lot of sex appeal. Those are two of my favorite actors' names, and let me tell you I'd fuck them if we weren't together," the billionaire replied bluntly, hoping the remark would convince Steve to abandon his choices.

"Well I really don't want our child to have a name that represents your 'sex symbols'. That's not something I want to think about when we're taking care of our child. Honestly, I think that's pretty disgusting that two people you'd gladly sleep with came to mind…" the super-soldier said as a grimace began to form on his face.

"Loosen up and stop being such a prude. Just think, our kid could become the guy everyone wants a piece of, like me!" Tony joked, making light of the whole situation.

"I don't want that for our son. And if you aren't going to take this seriously then I don't want to deal with this right now. I'm going to go for a run," Steve grumbled before stomping out of Tony's lab.

"Dammit, Steve, I was just kidding! Calm your sassy ass down!" Tony yelled out to the super-soldier.

"I'm going to think about some other names while I work out. You occupy your time and look into some names as well. We'll share what we come up with in bed tonight. And take it SERIOUSLY," Steve replied before leaving the tower to run around the city.

Tony sat completely still for several minutes, taking in what Steve said. He knew he needed to put thought and effort into this; it was their child, after all, and a name is important. The genius skimmed through the list, looking for one that stood out and would appeal to the interests of both he and his fiancé. Two hours later, Tony believed he found the perfect name and rushed to bed, hoping Steve would be there.

"Hey Steve, are you in here? I think I have the perfect name… Damn why do you have to be so distracting?" Tony asked as his jaw dropped at the sight before him.

To Tony's pleasure, the super-soldier was laying on their bed, completely naked and wet from a shower he had taken just moments ago. He gave the genius a seductive smirk, and motioned for him to join him on the bed. Tony didn't have to think twice; he quickly removed his clothes and carefully got on top of his fiancé, straddling him.

"I have an incentive for you, Tony. If you actually came up with a legitimate, pleasant name, then you'll get my big, thick cock in your ass. Deal?" Steve stated as he ran his fingers lightly down Tony's thighs.

The genius whispered the name into Steve's ear, ensuring the super-soldier that his decision was serious and well thought out. His fiancé was pleased with the answer, and he began to stroke Tony's cock teasingly, making the smaller man moan loudly.

"Wait, you didn't even tell me what you thought of…" the billionaire stated, having a difficult time getting the words out.

Steve leaned up and murmured the name into Tony's neck as he kissed it tenderly. The name appealed to the genius, and he voiced his approval with a soft "yes".

"I think the name you've chosen should be his first name, and what I picked out should be his middle," Steve said softly before kissing the arc reactor lightly.

Tony nodded , unable to form a coherent sentence any longer. Before the genius knew what was happening, Steve slowly pushed himself inside of Tony's ass, causing him to cry out in pleasure.

"You look so beautiful with our precious baby boy inside of you…" Steve moaned as he pressed his warm, somewhat chapped lips to Tony's belly.

His stomach had become an erogenous zone, and it turned him on when Steve touched, rubbed, and kissed his belly. The tender kisses on his tummy, mixed with Steve's prostate-hitting thrusts, caused Tony's orgasm to pulse through him, leaving a sticky mess on Steve's stomach.

Steve came shortly after, and continued to show his love and admiration for Tony's baby bump, appearing to almost worship it with his hands and lips.

"Our little miracle," Tony replied softly as he interlocked his fingers with Steve's, joining him in his admiration and awe of the life they created together.


	36. Chapter 36

A little after the six month mark of Tony's pregnancy, the two fathers-to-be decided that it was finally time for the genius to get a replacement tooth. It had been months since Tony had it punched out by Taskmaster, and their therapist believed that getting it fixed would help ease the pain of the horrific memories. They met with Martin at an unidentified dentist's office, continuing to keep their appointments with the doctor discreet.

The dentist's office had dark blue walls with posters of teeth before and after corrective surgeries, along with the anatomy of the human mouth. The floor was made of light gray linoleum, and the dentist's chair was silver with light blue cushions. On the left were several drawers, filled with an assortment of toothbrushes, toothpastes, and floss. On the right was a hand-washing station, gloves, and an assortment of dental tools on a metal tray in front of the doctor. Steve was sitting on a dark blue metal chair next to the drawers while Tony was in the dentist chair, waiting for Martin to finish his work.

"Nice to see you're finally having your smile fixed," Steve said with a grin as Martin finished the dental implant, giving Tony a right canine tooth to replace the one that was knocked out by a powerful punch.

"You know you liked me without my tooth… I looked like a total badass," Tony mumbled as the doctor finished the procedure.

"You're lucky you have access to the best of the best, Anthony. This procedure would have taken about six months for someone going through the traditional channels," Martin replied, inspecting the implant to make sure it was secure.

Steve handed Tony a mirror, allowing him to see Martin's fantastic handiwork.

"Damn you do a good job, Martin. How in the hell are you able to help me with everything? It's like you're a superhero of the medical world," the genius said as he checked out his corrected smile.

"Well, I am able to read anything and retain all of the information. I decided that going into medicine would be the best option for me, as I felt that I could make the biggest impact with my gift this way. Needless to say I'm very thankful for it; I never would have had the pleasure of working with you both," the doctor said with a smile as he washed his hands.

"Well thanks, Martin. That's very nice of you to say. We're certainly happy to have you around; you've done so much for us!" Steve replied, patting Martin on the back in friendship.

"So, you're a mutant then? Like those people that turn into monsters, can kill people by touching them and all that good stuff?" Tony questioned as he slowly picked himself up off of the chair, taking care not to move too quickly.

"Yes, I'm a 'mutant' Anthony, though I'd prefer you not call me that. I'm very lucky that I haven't been ostracized from society because of it…," Martin answered, a little irked by Tony's use of the word.

"Tony, let me help you! You shouldn't be doing that yourself!" Steve exclaimed as he rushed over to help his fiancé, completely taking the attention away from the doctor.

"God, Steve! Stop treating me like I'm an expensive, decorative egg. I can get up by myself without your help," Tony grumbled as Steve gently took him by the hands.

"I just want you to be careful, that's all. I don't want anything to happen to our little guy," Steve said apologetically as he helped his lover stand.

"He's just trying to help you, Tony, it's okay. But Steve, you don't need to be so delicate with him. I know you're afraid that someone bad will happen, but the pregnancy is going smoothly, and the child has no defects," Martin stated, trying to keep the two from getting into a disagreement.

"See, Steve? Everything's fine! We're at the six month mark, the baby's moving around, and oddly enough, hiccupping from time to time. Which feels really weird if you wanted to know, because I think it's important information. If that's not normal, then I don't know what is," Tony responded as he poked his left index finger into Steve's chest.

"Of all people, you think you know what normal is? This is definitely not a regular, everyday occurrence, Tony," the super-soldier sighed as he pushed Tony's hand away.

"Well, Martin said we're fine, so we're fine! Now can we go home? And on the way stop for a donut? I really want one," the genius rambled, changing the subject quickly.

"You know that we're eating healthy things now. No more of that junk; our kid doesn't need to be getting fed that disgusting stuff," Steve grimaced, thinking back to how disgusting Tony's eating habits had been in the past.

"Okay, mom… Oh and Martin, I've got one more question for you before we take off," Tony stopped in his tracks as Steve left the building, not bothering to come back in.

"Yes, Anthony?" Martin responded curiously.

"So, uh, I've got tits now. I've been covering them up by layering, and I gotta tell you Martin, I've never had man-boobs in my life," Tony mumbled, feeling a little uncomfortable by his predicament.

"Of course you're going to develop breasts. You're producing milk for your child," the doctor stated bluntly, a little surprised that Tony didn't grasp that concept of pregnancy.

"I didn't think that would happen since this isn't exactly a normal situation… Is there a way I can hide them when I have my shirt off?" the genius asked, feeling self-conscious about his chest.

"Are you afraid that Steven will be turned off by them? Is that what this is all about?" Martin questioned, worried that the super-soldier may have seen them and said something offensive by accident.

"Yeah, a little. He's used to me being this delicious hunk of stud, and well this belly and boobs can't really be doing it for him…" the genius responded as he put his back against the closed door and covered his eyes with his right hand.

"You shouldn't be concerned to share your body with Steven. You two plan to get married; if you can't be completely open with him now that will only cause difficulties in the future. Now go spend some time with him, he's waiting for you," Martin replied as he walked over to Tony and gave him a friendly hug, then led him out of the clinic.

When the two made it home, they went straight to their bed, as Tony was exhausted. His feet were a little swelled up, and getting the dental procedure was more than enough activity for the day.

"So why have you been wearing shirts all the time around me, Tony? I'm used to you strutting your stuff out in the open. This isn't like you," Steve asked, gently resting his head on his fiancé's belly as they laid together in bed.

"Just feeling a little cold is all. Probably like how you felt being a Capsicle," Tony joked, unwilling to tell Steve the truth.

"Very funny. Now you're not getting out of telling me why. You can't be evasive with me, Tony. Remember what Fen's told us time and time again: we have to be open with each other even if it hurts," the super-soldier said softly as he brought his right hand up to rub Tony's baby bump.

"No, really Steve, I'm fine. Now just keep rubbing my belly, it feels amazing…" the genius moaned a little as he felt his lover's fingers creep underneath the white t-shirt he borrowed from the larger man.

When Steve began to pull Tony's shirt up towards his chest, the genius quickly pushed the white shirt back down, preventing his chest from being exposed.

"Okay, there's something wrong, so don't pull that with me. Even when we're having sex you wear t-shirts. Why won't you let me look at all of you?" the super-soldier questioned, his voice laced with frustration.

"Alright, fine. Not only do I have stretch marks because of this little guy, but I've got boobs. Not just the regular bitch-tits that fat guys get, but REAL boobs. They have the same feel as a woman's and everything. It's fucked up…" Tony sighed, keeping his shirt pulled all the way down on his belly.

"So?" Steve replied as he moved Tony's hands and took the white shirt off before the genius could make any further protestations.

"S-Steve, please don't," the genius pleaded softly, keeping his eyes off of Steve.

"God you look so beautiful this way, Tony. I don't think you could look any more lovely if you tried," Steve said calmly as he pulled the genius' face towards his and planted a passionate kiss to his lips.

"Really?" Tony asked, a small smile forming on his lips.

"Yes," the super-soldier whispered softly as he kissed Tony one more time on the lips before carefully getting on top of him.

Steve placed gentle pecks to his fiancé's neck, arc reactor, and baby belly until he reached Tony's groin. He slowly stroked the genius, bringing him to a full erection.

"I'm going to make you see just how lovely you are," Steve said with a smirk as he took Tony's full length in his mouth, eliciting a gasp from the smaller man.

While he was teasingly swirling his tongue around the head and shaft of Tony's cock, Steve reached his hands up to the genius' breasts and gently squeezed them, running his fingers delicately across Tony's sensitive nipples as he did so.

"Don't stop…" Tony moaned quietly, loving the sensation of not only Steve's mouth but his large, rough hands on his chest.

The genius interlocked his fingers with his fiancé's as he continued to caress Tony's breasts, making him feel less self-conscious about the unusual phenomenon.

With a small cry, Tony came in Steve's mouth, the super-soldier happily swallowing each drop of the salty liquid. When the genius finished, Steve worked his way back up his lover's body and kissed him, the taste that was purely Tony still on his lips.

"To be honest I think I like you better with them. They've give me something to play with," Steve quipped with a smirk, making the smaller man laugh softly before they kissed one more time.

"Now you see why men are obsessed with boobs!" Tony joked in return as he gently pushed Steve off of him.

The larger man wrapped his arms around Tony, allowing him to rest his head on his firm, muscular pecs.

"Well I'm personally an ass man," Steve replied as he quickly grabbed his fiancé's ass, making him jump a little.

The two bantered lovingly back and forth, savoring the happiness that had built up between them the past month. The wonderful moment did not last long, however.

"Sorry to bother you both in such a serene moment, but Captain Rogers has a phone call," Jarvis announced quietly.

"No he doesn't. Tell them he's not here," Tony commanded, waving his left hand in a dismissive motion.

"This is not a phone call that can be ignored. Captain Rogers, you need to talk to the caller in private; Master Stark cannot be in the room with you," the A.I. added, sounding as if he was saddened by the statement.

"Alright, alright. They better make it quick…" the genius grumbled as he removed himself from Steve's arms and left their bedroom.

After Tony left, a monitor came down and he saw Nick Fury, who appeared to be frothing at the mouth in anger.

"Fury," Steve said with a nod, thankful that he was still wearing his white and blue pajama bottoms, preventing an embarrassing incident from occurring.

"Rogers," Fury said in return, the look of anger never leaving his face as he looked at Steve with his one good eye.

"So what do you have to say to me that you can't say in front of Tony?" the super-soldier asked in a serious, emotionless tone of voice.

"I've got some bad news," the spy said, keeping his gaze steady on the hero.

"I assumed," Steve replied, growing more and more impatient with the S.H.I.E.L.D agent as the seconds passed.

"You're scheduled to go on a mission to Afghanistan for a nine month tour of duty," Fury stated bluntly, his voice tainted with lingering frustration.

"But I'm not part of the army anymore. Why do they need me to serve?" the super-soldier questioned, feeling his heart sink down to the pit of his stomach.

"Turns out there was a technicality that wasn't in your favor. When you landed your plane into the ocean, you still had not completely finished the time stated on your military contract. Since you're actually alive, they're taking advantage of it and are demanding that you serve in one more army mission," the spy replied, a sneer forming on his face.

"I thought since I'm with the Avengers I wouldn't have to serve anymore… Why are you telling me this and not an official in the U.S Army?" Steve asked, puzzled by the spy's involvement.

"I wanted to assure you that I tried everything I could to help you get out of this, Rogers. I made phone calls, had meetings, you name it I did it. Since the Avengers haven't been summoned since the Chitauri invasion eight months ago, the higher-ups in the military brought up your military contract, saying that they needed you more than S.H.I.E.L.D does. Well some government assholes who haven't been too fond of us decided in favor of the military, and now you have to fight. There's nothing else I can do," Fury responded, expressing the frustration of defeat with his loud, booming voice.

"When and where do I deploy?" the super-soldier questioned, still trying to grasp the negative implications of the situation.

"You will be leaving at oh five hundred tomorrow, and a private military helicopter will arrive for you at Fort Drum, which is an estimated six hours away from New York City. If you want Stark to go with you to Fort Drum, that is fine. He will not be allowed on base, however, so he will have to leave before you enter the premises," the spy answered flatly, growing tired of explaining everything to Steve.

"Got it. This is a little short notice don't you think?" Steve remarked, coming out as more of a statement than a question.

"The military isn't exactly known for giving people time to react, not even the one and only Captain America. Good luck," Fury responded before ending the call.

"Can I come back in, Steve?" Tony asked as he knocked on their bedroom door.

"Yes," the super-soldier replied, unable to say anything else.

"What's wrong, you're all shaken up. Did someone die or get brutally maimed? Because that would definitely be an interesting development in the life and times of Steve Rogers," the genius joked, trying to alleviate the tension in the room the only way he knew how.

_What do I say? I have to leave him for nine months… I'm not going to be here when Tony goes into labor, when our little guy is born. I won't be able to help change his first diaper, feed him, or take turns with Tony in the middle of the night to take care of him. I'm not going to be here in our baby's first few months of life… _Steve thought to himself, completely blocking out Tony's joke.

Tony, realizing that whatever news Steve had gotten was worse than he could imagine, got onto his knees on the bed and cradled the super-soldier in his arms. Steve rested his head on his lover's belly and burst into tears, thinking about everything that he was going to miss out on.

"Steve? Don't cry, everything will be fine, I'm here to take care of you," Tony said softly as he ran the fingers of his left hand through his fiancé's hair.

"But I won't be able to take care of you," Steve said between sobs, feeling like his whole life had come crashing down.

"Shh, shh. Whatever happened, it can't be that bad…Wait what do you mean?" Tony asked, completely taken aback by the statement.

"I have to leave you and our baby for nine months!" the super-soldier cried out, clinging tightly to Tony's midsection, keeping his face nestled in the genius' baby belly.

"What the fuck are you talking about!" Tony exclaimed, jumping to the conclusion that Steve no longer wanted to be involved with him.

"My contract with the military wasn't completed, and now they're summoning me to go for a ninth month tour in Afghanistan. Since we haven't done any work as the Avengers for an extended period, the army seized the opportunity to call me for duty…" the super-soldier answered, trying to collect himself, though he was failing miserably.

"Can we pull some strings? I'm sure we could get Fury to correct this ridiculous bullshit. You're his golden child after all; he owes it to Phil," Tony replied, shocked by his lover's announcement.

"He's the one who called, Tony. There was nothing he could do for me, for us. Absolutely nothing," Steve responded bitterly, thinking about all that he had done for the United States and how little he was given in return.

"You can't go. Don't go. I've got awesome lawyers. Fuck Joseph, but Sam's fantastic. I'm sure he could get you out of this," Tony said loudly, trying to convince himself and Steve that the idea would work.

"You know it won't, Tony. We have to face this; I have to leave, and I'm going to miss a lot of important things. Our baby isn't going to know my voice, my touch, my love, until I come back home. He's just going to see me as a stranger, and hell he may not even want me around at first. You're going to be his daddy and he's going to love you the moment he sees you, but he's going to have to warm up to his father. That bond will have to be built between him and I, and we need to accept it, no matter how painful it is. I'm sorry," Steve choked out, the words making him feel dead inside.

"I don't want you to miss out on those things, Steve. You wanted a family more than anyone in the world, and you deserve to see him born. Hell, if anyone I should be the one who's leaving. I never even wanted more than just myself before I met you, and I don't know if I can do this alone. Fuck I can't do this alone, Steve, I know I can't," Tony said sadly as the tears rolled down his cheeks and into his fiancé's hair.

"You're not going to be alone, Tony. Remember when I told you that I loved you too much to stay away? I meant it. While I'm not going to be here by your side physically, I'm going to be in your heart, in your mind, in everything that you do. I am a part of you. Whenever you pick up our child, feed him, clothe him, love him, I am there too. We are together in a bond stronger than anything, and I'll never be gone," the super-soldier replied, gently rubbing his lover's expanding tummy.

"I love you so much, Steve and I know you mean every word you say, but I'm fucking scared that we're going to change and drift apart. Nine months is a long time…" the genius whispered, his insecurities coming out into the open.

"Sure, we may change, but it's not going to make me love you any less, and anything that happens we can get through. You know that," Steve replied as he looked up into Tony's deep, brown eyes, reaching up with his left hand to caress the three large scars on the genius' cheek.

Tony brought his hand up to meet with Steve's, and all they could do was look at each other. They wanted to stay wrapped up in each other's warmth and love and remove themselves from all the heartache and frustration of life. Steve and Tony wanted to make the moment last, put their lives on pause and prevent all of the hardships that were to come. But there was nothing they could do but look at each other, hoping and praying that Steve's words of wisdom actually meant something.


	37. Chapter 37

Tony, not wanting to leave Steve's side until it was absolutely necessary, decided it was best to drive to the base early and stay at a hotel nearby. The two lovers wanted to enjoy one final night together before the super-soldier left for Afghanistan, and they felt that staying at the tower for the rest of the day would be too depressing. They believed that a little adventure and excitement would push out the feelings of anxiety and anger about Steve's call to active duty, even if only for a little while.

The genius, determined to prove to Steve that he could survive on his own, insisted that he drive the couple to Fort Drum. They took the Acura NSX Roadster, which still had some paint from Steve's motorcycle on it, and sped off to their destination, unable to find any words to say to each other until they neared the fort.

"You want to stay here, Steve? Come on, we can go somewhere fancy for our last night and just have freaky sex all night… With room service!" Tony exclaimed, trying to persuade Steve to change his mind.

"No, I want to stay at a motel tonight, Tony. There will be no one to bother us, no questions will be asked, and I think it will feel more intimate," Steve replied, not budging from his initial decision.

"Fine, fine. We'll do it your way. But when you come back you, me, and the baby are going somewhere awesome. You'll have absolutely no say in where we go, no matter how much you dislike 'fancy living'," the genius said in a snarky tone as he pulled into the motel parking lot.

The motel had a neon sign displaying its name, but it appeared to have burned out years ago and the owners never bothered to replace it. Steve and Tony were unable to make out what it was called, as it was too dark outside. The neon sign for vacancy was still bright, however, and luckily there were rooms available. Steve went inside the office to pay for a room and get the keys, leaving his fiancé waiting in the car for his fiancé to take care of the transaction.

Several minutes later, the super-soldier grabbed their bags and helped Tony out of the car, and they unlocked the door to room twenty-two.

The room was very plain, as most motel rooms tend to be. The walls were off-white, the carpet was a light brown, and there was a queen sized, sagging mattress in the middle of the room. It was covered in plain white sheets, which were recently laundered. There was a kitschy Thomas Kinkade framed painting of a cottage above the headboard, and on the left of the bed was a white nightstand made from cheap, pressed wood. A small, dingy brown lamp and an old cream colored rotary dial phone were sitting atop of the nightstand.

"Eww, this room is ugly, Steve! Do we really have to stay here?" Tony whined, looking at his fiancé with puppy dog eyes.

"Yes, this is where I want to stay. The gentleman at the front desk didn't recognize me, it's dark, there aren't many people here, and we can be completely alone," Steve responded softly as he dropped the bags, shut the door, and picked Tony up.

"Carrying me to the threshold a little early, don't you think?" the genius quipped as Steve carried him to the bed.

"Not early enough," Steve responded with a smirk as he gently set his lover down on the squeaky mattress.

Before he could complain about how uncomfortable the bed was, Steve carefully got on top of Tony and swiftly pressed his mouth to the genius' to shut him up.

"Steve…" the genius moaned into the super-soldier's mouth, loving the way he and his fiancé's lips fit perfectly together like puzzle pieces.

"God, Tony, I love when you moan like that. I don't know how I can resist having sex with you all the time," the super-soldier growled lustily as he pulled away from the kiss.

"You should stop fighting the urge…" Tony said with a smile as he quickly removed Steve's light green plaid button-down shirt, revealing a perfect, sculpted chest and firm pecs.

"Take off your clothes slowly for me, Tony. I want to feel like this is the first time I've ever seen you naked," Steve directed, moving to the end of the bed so he could get a better view.

Tony did as his fiancé asked, beginning by removing his brick red Led Zeppelin t-shirt at an agonizingly slow pace. After allowing Steve some time to take in the sight of his arc reactor and pregnant belly, he began to remove his dark blue jeans.

As the genius worked his way out of the tight jeans, Steve's right hand slowly crept down into his dark brown khakis, his fingers wrapping around his thick, hard cock. He loved every inch of Tony's body, and now that he was carrying his child the super-soldier worshiped it like it was his God.

"Come here, Tony, and show me what your mouth can do," Steve instructed, waiting for his now naked lover to crawl over to him.

The genius wasted no time and quickly unbuttoned Steve's pants and pulled them down, along with his white boxer briefs.

Tony slowly took the head of Steve's dick in his mouth, licking in slow, long streaks. He looked up at the super-soldier teasingly, enjoying the look of sexual frustration on his lover's face.

Steve, knowing that this would be the last time they would be intimate for nine grueling months, allowed Tony to take his time, even though it was driving him insane. He loved the way the genius gently stroked his cock with nimble fingers as he slowly took the head of Steve's dick in and out of his mouth.

"T-Tony…" Steve moaned loudly, relishing in every minute that Tony's tongue flicked against his sensitive flesh.

"I want you to come inside of me, Steve. Please…" the genius begged, continuing to work Steve's dick with his right hand as he stared deep into his eyes.

Steve nodded and slowly got off of the bed and grabbed a bottle of lube from his fiancé's travel bag. He tossed Tony the bottle, then crawled back onto the bed and removed his khakis and boxers and set them behind him on the bed. He hurried over to Tony, got on top of him and gave him a soft, gentle kiss on the lips.

"Open yourself up for me. Stretch yourself out so my cock can fit inside of you perfectly," Steve directed as he moved down to Tony's neck, delicately sucking on the tender flesh, taking care not to leave large bruises.

Tony opened the bottle and spread some lube onto his fingers and gently pushed his index finger inside of his ass, letting out a small moan as he did so. As the genius was preparing himself for Steve's cock, the super-soldier made his way down to Tony's belly and slowly kissed and circled his fingers around his fiancé's belly button.

"I'm ready, Steve. Please don't keep me waiting anymore…" Tony pleaded impatiently, wanting desperately to feel the super-soldier buried deep inside of him.

The super-soldier slicked his dick up with a copious amount of lube, ready to give it to Tony as long as slow as they could stand. He moved away from the smaller man and sat on the bed and motioned for Tony to get on top of him. Tony did as he was told, and wrapped his legs around Steve's waist to open himself up for the larger man's cock. Steve positioned his dick at his fiancé's entrance and gently pushed himself inside, kissing Tony deeply as he did so.

"I need to feel you deeper inside of me…" Tony begged between kisses, wanting to feel himself completely full of Steve.

Steve, wanting to give Tony the best sexual experience of his life, slowly buried his cock completely inside of the genius, eliciting a low moan from the smaller man.

The two lovers rocked back and forth slowly, taking pleasure in their last sexual experience together for nine months. Their tongues slid back in forth in each other's mouths, and the two men felt as if they were connected in all possible ways. Steve and Tony never wanted this moment to end, and after what seemed like several beautiful, intimate hours, the two came at the same time, keeping their lips pressed together as their orgasms pulsed through them.

Steve gently pulled himself out of Tony, but the two stayed intertwined, looking deep into each other's eyes. Tears began to gently roll down the genius' cheek, which Steve delicately wiped away.

"I love you so much, Steve. I never knew what love making was before I met you, and I'm definitely going to crave it when you're gone. I do miss the rough sex though…" Tony joked, trying to take the attention away from his tears.

"I have to admit, I miss it too, though sex with you is always great no matter what kind we have. And I almost forgot, I have something for you," Steve said with a smile as he reached his hand back and pulled something out of the left pocket of his khakis.

"A gift? Gimme, gimme, gimme!" Tony said excitedly, having absolutely no idea what it could be.

Steve made the genius close his eyes and hold out his hands, and he gently set the gift into Tony's open palms. When he opened his eyes, Tony was in complete shock. He held the present up and carefully examined it, completely at a loss for words.

"Can I put them on you?" Steve asked, to which the genius nodded and handed the gift back to the super-soldier.

Steve carefully put the present around Tony's neck, appreciating how perfect they looked on his fiancé.

"You're giving me your old dog tags… Aren't you going to need them?" Tony questioned as he stroked the metal tags with his fingers.

"They'll give me new ones. Besides, you deserve them more than anyone. You're my love, my home, and most importantly you're mine forever and always," Steve said as he wrapped his big, muscular arms around his pregnant lover.

"How in the hell does a guy like me find a man like you? It's absolutely crazy," Tony responded, continuing to play with the tags hanging from his neck.

"I could say the same thing," the super-soldier said with a smirk as he gently kissed the smaller man's forehead.

"Oh, and I actually have something awesome as well. I think you're going to love it, and if you don't well that's your problem," the genius said as he slowly got up from the bed and grabbed a small video camera from his bag.

"So remember when you said that our baby was never going to hear your voice and you would be a stranger to him? Well I've got something to remedy that," Tony said as he lay on the bed and motioned for Steve to cuddle up next to him.

"I'll be damned…" the super-soldier said as he examined the small technological marvel in his fiancé's hands.

"Yeah, it's great. Best part is, I modified it. I programmed Jarvis into the device and added hovering technology to the device. It's completely hands free, and since we've got Jarvis we won't have to worry about anything going wrong," Tony said excitedly, proud of himself for his innovation.

"When did you make this?" Steve asked curiously, a little surprised that Tony had come up with the idea in such a short period of time.

"I made it a long time ago. I used it from time to time to film myself in my Iron Man suits to observe them to see if there was anything I needed to improve on. I took it with me and would watch the clips during meetings so I'd actually be doing something productive," the genius replied, pushing some buttons that sent the small camera hovering above the palms of his hands.

Steve was completely speechless, amazed by Tony's engineering talent and his ability come up with great ideas. He was thankful that his fiancé brought the video camera with him; it made him feel as if he'd still have some role in the child's first few months of life.

"I want you to rest your head on my belly, Steve, and look at the camera from time to time when you're speaking. It's facing the right side of my body, so you'll need to be positioned on the left," Tony directed, and Steve gladly followed his orders.

"So, do I just start talking, or do I have to wait?" Steve asked, unsure of what to do.

"It's on, so start talking. I'll edit out this part," Tony replied with a smirk, loving the fact that his lover was blushing a soft pink because of his error.

"Hey, little guy, this is your father, Steve. Right now you're still inside of your daddy, and I can feel you kicking. You're a miracle, and I can't wait until you're born. I'm blessed that in just a few months you'll be bundled up in your daddy's arms, living and breathing. I'll be gone for a little while, but it doesn't mean I will be away forever. I love you and your daddy so much, and I'm counting down the days until I get to meet you," Steve said softly and lovingly and he gently rubbed the genius' belly and nuzzled his face to it.

"Jarvis, finish recording. And fuck that was beautiful, Steve. You know I'm going to be listening to this every single day that you're gone, you know that right?" Tony said with a smile as he looked down at his fiancé, who was cherishing every moment that he was resting his head on his lover's tummy.

"That's what I was hoping for," the super-soldier responded warmly, hoping that hearing his voice would help their child recognize him when he came home.

After several minutes, the two fell fast asleep, Steve clinging to Tony's body and using his belly as a pillow.

Four hours later, they were woken up by the alarm on Tony's phone. It was four in the morning, which gave them forty-five minutes to get ready before they had to head to the base. The two men hopped in the shower, washing each other gently, stealing kisses every now and again. After drying each other off, Steve and Tony got dressed, ate some blueberry muffins and headed out the door to drive to Fort Drum.

"Just one more kiss?" Tony begged, trying to postpone Steve's departure for just a few more seconds.

Steve grabbed Tony by the back of the head and brought him in for an intense, passionate kiss and didn't break away from Tony until a minute had passed.

"I love you, Tony. You can do this, I know you can. You're going to be a great daddy, and I know you can handle this without me. I'll be back before you know it," Steve said as he pressed a gentle kiss to his fiancé's cheek.

"I love you too… Please be careful, Steve. I don't want to have to do this without you forever, that would just be too much. Don't get captured, when they say they'll torture you they really mean it," Tony choked out, thinking back to his past.

"I promise I'll make it back to you safe and sound. Bye, Tony," Steve replied, giving Tony one more tender kiss before leaving the vehicle and walking towards the base.

The two waved bye to each other, and Tony quickly sped off, unable to sit there for another minute. During the long drive home, the genius fought back tears, trying to keep himself from thinking about what life would be like without Steve in it.

_What if he doesn't come home? What am I going to do then? If he dies, I think I'll literally go insane. I don't have anyone to help me out, and only Martin and Bruce know about this… Bruce can't come to my aid all the time, and Martin's my doctor, it's not his job to help me raise my kid. Is our little guy going to like me? I know he'd love Steve, I mean how could you not? Everyone loves him… But me? Fuck, you've got to be crazy to stay by my side after all the shit I've pulled. I'm going to need some help… _Tony thought to himself, unable to even entertain the idea that he could be a single parent for nine long, lonely months.

When he arrived home, he changed into one of Steve's white t-shirts and his blue and white striped pajama bottoms. He curled up on their bed and rubbed his belly, remembering the way it felt when Steve pressed his hands and lips to it. Tony missed Steve so much that it hurt, even though it had only been a few hours. He was angry with the army for taking away the only man he loved, sad that there was nothing they could do to change the circumstances, and he felt guilty that he would get to spend time with the child and Steve wouldn't. The genius felt as if his whole world was turned upside down, and there was absolutely nothing he could do to fix it. He sighed heavily, caressed his fiancé's dog tags, and watched the video of Steve pressed up against his tummy and put it on replay, not wanting to let go of the memory.

When Steve boarded the military helicopter headed to Afghanistan, he couldn't find it in him to talk to anyone. It was the last place he wanted to be, and he didn't understand why they needed him. While he sat on the bench, sulking silently, he was approached by the general aboard the plane. The general explained why he was called to duty, and the super-soldier was so angry that he punched the general in the face, knocking him out cold. With a little hesitation, the twelve soldiers on the chopper ganged up on him and tied him up, preventing him from having any more violent outbursts.

_You have got to be fucking kidding me… I had to leave my family for THIS! _Steve thought to himself, furious with the role he was set to play in Afghanistan.


	38. Chapter 38

"Damn I miss you so much…" Tony sighed as he replayed the video of Steve for the fifth time that day. He was eight months pregnant now, and a month and a half had passed since Tony said bye to the best soldier and lover he had ever known. He ran Steve's old dog-tags across his lips, enjoying the brief sensation of cold the metal gave to his mouth. The identification of Steve's past life made him wonder what war had been like for his fiancé all those years ago and if he still felt that fighting was a noble and dutiful cause. From Tony's experience in Afghanistan, he came to hate everything that war represented, and it disgusted him when he thought about his contributions to the bloodshed.

_I wish I never made weapons… I wonder how many people died because of my products. It has to be a lot. God, what if I had made more of the Jericho missile? What if I was still developing and selling armaments and Steve got hurt because of me? Hell, some of my old tech is probably still be lingering there… There's a possibility that he'll be injured, or even die, because of my past, _Tony thought to himself as a shiver ran down the length of his spine as an image of Steve being blown up by a Stark Industries missile flashed in his mind.

Tony, knowing that he needed to take his mind off of the dark, disturbing thoughts, decided to go down to his lab for a while. He slowly waddled down to his lab from the living room, and by the time the genius arrived at his destination he was exhausted. His feet were swollen, his back ached, he had a headache, and he was experiencing painful cramps. Tony knew he should take it easy, but without Steve to keep him company he was restless. He didn't go out in public anymore; his baby bump was huge and only a choice few knew of the pregnancy, and he couldn't risk the world finding out about his strange predicament. It would be easier to say the child was adopted than to display his medical marvel to the public.

The genius missed a lot about his public persona, however: the company, the parties, the booze, and flaunting Steve to everyone he met. Tony gave up a lot of his old ways to make Steve happy, and now that the super-soldier was off fighting in another war the genius craved these parts of his old life. He wanted someone to comfort him, even if it was just for one night. He wanted alcohol to make him numb to all of the overwhelming emotions that pulsed through his body. And most of all, he wished he could free himself from the heartache that his fiancé's absence caused him.

The genius groaned as he slowly took a seat on a stool, relieved to be off of his feet again. After he settled in, he began sketching out blueprints for some possible modifications to Steve's suit. Tony had watched several old clips of the super-soldier in his old Captain America military uniform, and he felt that Steve's new suit could use some of the classic touches. While Tony appreciated how the suit Coulson designed for Steve hugged his body perfectly and showed off that exquisite ass of his, he found Steve's old uniform to be more fitting of his personality. The super-soldier wasn't a flashy guy, and Tony felt that the new Captain America uniform was more of a costume than something to be taken seriously.

After an hour of fleshing out some ideas, Tony's back began to hurt too much to be slumped over the workbench, so he had to quit. The genius winced as he got up from his seated position, feeling the painful pressure of his unborn child on his pelvis. Feeling weak and alone, Tony went upstairs to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle from the back of the fridge. It was a plastic container labeled "Canada Dry," though it did not contain its original content; the genius secretly replaced it with vodka. Steve never drank the carbonated drink, so he had no idea that Tony had been keeping alcohol inside of the bottle. They had agreed to get rid of all of the alcohol in the house when the super-soldier knew about the pregnancy, but the genius didn't want to give it up completely. He considered booze to be a long-time friend, even though all it did was put him in embarrassing, awkward positions.

"Sir, I know what you are hiding in that bottle, and I advise you not to consume the beverage," Jarvis piped in, sounding as if he was concerned about the unborn child developing inside of Tony.

"One drink isn't going to hurt the little guy, you should know that. And besides, I really need it right now," Tony responded harshly as he chugged the vodka from the bottle, burning his throat a little as it slid down his esophagus.

"Fuck… I forgot how much vodka sucks. Too bad I don't have any scotch on hand," Tony said, already feeling sick to his stomach from the vile drink.

He walked to his bedroom, thinking that if he lay down the queasiness would subside. Tony's theory was proven wrong, however, and he had to make a beeline to the bathroom, just barely making it to the sink. He vomited for what seemed like an eternity, though it had only been about ten minutes. After he finished puking his guts out, he wiped off his mouth, brushed his teeth, and looked at himself in the mirror. He was disgusted and ashamed of himself for being selfish and giving in to his old vice at the expense of his child.

"You better not say anything to Steve, Jarvis, or so help me God I'll make a new A.I.," Tony threatened as he lumbered over to his king-sized bed.

"Yes, Master Stark," Jarvis replied flatly to the genius' bluff.

When he finally reached their king-sized bed, Tony gently lowered himself onto the mattress and sat completely still, relishing in the comfort and warmth of the thick, black comforter that covered the surface. His stomach still felt upset, and it only served to remind him that he became dependent on Steve to be his moral compass.

"Jarvis, will you play 'How Deep is the Ocean'?" Tony asked softly, wanting some soothing music to help him relax and flush the negative thoughts from his head.

"Of course, sir. Which musician's rendition would you like to listen to?" Jarvis asked, giving Tony a list of the artists who had covered the song throughout the years.

"Definitely Etta James," the genius replied after some thought, and soon he was completely engulfed by her beautiful, soul-touching voice.

It was one of Steve's favorite songs during the 1930's, and often Tony would overhear him quietly singing the lyrics while he was cooking or cleaning. The song brought back happy, peaceful memories with Steve, and it made him feel a little bit better. He found it to be ironic that the super-soldier continued to sing the song even with his aversion to the ocean, and the genius chuckled a little at the thought.

"How much do I love you? I'll tell you no lie. How deep is the ocean? How high is the sky?" Tony sang softly to himself as he gently ran his fingers across his belly, pretending that Steve was the one touching him.

"And if I ever lost you, how much would I cry?" Etta James continued, though Tony quit singing when he listened to the lyrics and thought about Steve being killed in the war.

The lyrics cut into him like a dull knife, slowly working its way deeper into his sensitive flesh. The pain they caused was unrelenting, and all of Tony's buried emotions of fear and desperation raged out of him like an un-caged beast. He sobbed uncontrollably, cursed and blamed Steve's God for all of his misery, and cried out his fiancé's name over and over again. After all of the lonely nights in his empty bed, feeling cold and without hope, it was time for Tony to let all of his feelings out before they tore him apart.

"Look in the black box in the closet, Master Stark. There may be some items inside that will help relieve your sadness," Jarvis cut in, appearing to be almost sympathetic to Tony's plight.

Taking Jarvis' advice seriously, he pulled himself together and sluggishly walked over to the closet and slowly picked up the box, taking care not to injure his back. He sat at the edge of the bed and swiftly opened the box, unable to wait to see what content it contained. When he opened the box, he pulled out several items: the "National Enquirer" with the two men kissing passionately on the cover, the note Tony left for him about getting better, a printed copy of the photograph the genius put on his laptop, and a manila folder overflowing with papers.

_Wow, Steve sure is quite the sentimental guy… I don't know why I'm surprised. He's still stuck in the old-school mentality of things. But it's pretty awesome. Jarvis was right, this takes some of the sting out of this shitty situation. I wonder what's in the folder, _Tony thought to himself as he carefully opened the cream-colored folder.

There were fifty sketches of the genius inside of the manila folder with the dates of their creation written neatly on the bottom. He noticed that many of them dated back to the month before the two became official during Steve's wonderful visit to the tower. They were the spitting image of him, and it shocked the genius that his fiancé had such an incredible memory. Some were solely of his face; others were of his whole body in various poses and positions. A few of them were even of Tony's naked body, which were eerily accurate, considering that Steve had not yet seen him unclothed. There were several sketches of the Manhattan skyline visible from the tower, with Iron Man proudly flying through the sky. His favorites, however, were the ones of the progression of his pregnancy. Steve had drawn pictures of every stage of the long journey, and he noticed that the super-soldier even placed himself in some of the sketches as well. Steve was always cradling Tony in his arms, appearing to provide protection and comfort to the genius in each drawing.

Tony was completely blown away by Steve's artistic ability, not to mention the fact that he was the subject of all of the super-soldier's drawings. It touched him more than anything Steve had ever done; even his beautiful proposal didn't create the euphoria that Tony felt as a result of the super-soldier's work. Those sketches finally made Tony realize just how precious and important he was to Steve. In that moment, all of Tony's doubts and fears about their future washed away; he completely and truly believed that Steve loved him forever and always.

The next day, Tony sauntered into the clinic for his ultrasound, still running off of the high he felt from his epiphany the night before. He had slept better than he had in the entire month and a half after Steve left for active duty, and he was excited to see how the baby was progressing.

"I must say, Anthony, that you have gained a considerable amount of weight since I saw you last month…" Martin said as he helped Tony up on the examination table.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I've been eating as much as you told me to and I've resisted the urge to eat shawarma and all the delicious, wonderful greasy foods, much to my displeasure. But for some reason the weight just piled on, and let me tell you I don't like it," Tony grumbled, feeling a little embarrassed by the doctor's remark.

"Have you been having pain on the upper right side of your abdomen or headaches?" Martin questioned as he scribbled some notes on his clipboard.

"Yeah, I've been having weird cramps the past week, and from time to time I get terrible headaches. They're so bad I have to lay down with a pillow over my head," the genius answered immediately, becoming worried that something was wrong.

"Hmm… Well before we begin the ultrasound I'd like you to give me a urine sample," the doctor stated as he walked over to a drawer and pulled out a small specimen cup.

Tony carefully got off of the table and took the specimen cup from the doctor's hand and excused himself to the bathroom for a brief moment. A plump nurse with wiry white hair and dull gray eyes took the sample from Tony and took it to be analyzed in the lab, which made the genius all the more uncomfortable. When he came back into the room, Martin assisted Tony onto the table and took his blood pressure and carefully examined the numbers that appeared on the device.

"So, what's going on? Am I dying? Is the baby sick? You know that I absolutely hate suspense and I certainly don't like when you ignore me…" the genius complained as he sat with his arm extended for the doctor.

The nurse came in soon after with the results of Tony's urine sample, and Martin took off the blood pressure measuring equipment and took the results from the elderly nurse. After a few seconds, Tony noticed that a frown was developing on Martin's face.

"Are you going to sit there with your thumb up your ass or are you going to give me the news? I see that look on your face, and I know whatever you're not telling me has to be pretty shitty," Tony snarked, tired of waiting for the doctor to respond.

"I'm afraid you have preeclampsia," Martin said, not looking up from his chart as he continued to write down a few more notes.

"What the fuck is that? You don't just say I have something and then not inform me of what it is!" Tony hissed, growing more impatient as the seconds passed.

"It is a condition that occurs in pregnant people in later stages of pregnancy. The primary concern with preeclampsia is that the blood vessels are constricted, which can cause damage to not only your organs but the baby as well. It is marked by elevated blood pressure, excess protein in the urine, pain in the abdomen, and occasionally headaches. Excess weight gain also is a symptom, and that is why I felt that it was necessary to run the tests. I'm going to have to put you on bed rest," Martin stated as he walked over to the ultrasound machine and turned it on.

"Great, just great. This is just awesome… How long do I have to sit in my bed and feel like a damsel in distress?" the genius quipped, his good mood long gone at this point.

"You will remain on bed rest for the final duration of your pregnancy. When in bed, you will need to lay on your left side so major blood vessels will not be constricted by the child's weight. Every three days I'll be stopping by to check your blood pressure and urine to make sure you're doing okay," Martin said as he pressed the transducer to Tony's swollen belly.

"Are you kidding me? I don't have anyone to help me! How am I going to survive!" Tony exclaimed, fear and worry laced in his voice.

"Virginia Potts could be of assistance. After all, she does take care of most of your appointments," Martin replied after taking several minutes to mull over the question Tony raised.

"Yeah, I suppose she's my best bet. Dammit…" Tony responded sullenly, realizing that she was virtually the only option he had.

After a long, awkward silence, Martin finished the ultrasound, printed off the picture and gave the genius a sympathetic smile.

"He sure is getting big. I can't believe that in a few weeks, I'll be a daddy," Tony said quietly, trying to end the visit on a positive note.

"Time sure does fly by. I'm looking forward to delivering him," the doctor said with a tender smile as he gave Tony a friendly hug.

"So I'll see you in a few days, then?" Tony asked, his voice faltering with concern for his unborn child and anxiety in regard to telling the truth to Pepper.

"Yes, Anthony. As long as you do as I have directed, everything will be just fine. Take care," Martin replied as he walked Tony to his limousine, waving bye to the billionaire as Happy pulled out of the parking lot and drove away.

When Tony arrived at the tower, he immediately went to his bedroom and slowly sank down onto the bed, carefully turning over on his left side. Knowing that he could no longer keep Pepper in the dark about his condition, Tony gave in and called her.

"Hey, Pepper. I need you," Tony said hesitantly, terrified of what she would say when she came over.

"Why? I haven't heard from you in so long I assumed you didn't need me in your life anymore," Pepper replied flatly, hurt by her best friend's strange absence the past few months.

"Listen, I'll explain everything to you. Please just come over and I'll tell you in person. This isn't a joke, I promise," Tony said with a sigh, the guilt of cutting off contact with her weighing heavily on his mind.

"Okay, I'll be over shortly," the redhead replied before hanging up.

_Please, please, please don't let her kill me… _Tony prayed to himself, hoping that she would be calm and understanding about the whole situation.

"Why didn't you tell me, Tony? This is quite possibly the strangest thing I've ever seen in my life, and you weren't even going to bother to tell me? When you had the child, how were you going to explain it to me? Were you just going to say, 'Oh, Steve and I decided to adopt. Here's our new baby'?" Pepper questioned, grilling Tony with question after question.

"I-I really don't know, Pepper. I don't. I have no idea how I would explain the sudden appearance of the little guy. All I know is that I hid this from you because I thought you'd think I'd be a shitty parent after all of the things I've done…" Tony replied, keeping his voice low and steady as the truth escaped his lips.

"You really thought that? I'm sorry that I made you feel that way. Listen, I don't think that for a second. After all you've been through in your life, you've still managed to come out on top, which I pretty impressive. Not only that, but since you met Steve, you've really changed for the better, and I must admit that I'm proud of how far you've come," Pepper said calmly as she sat next to Tony on the bed and gently ran her fingers through his hair, hoping it would soothe him.

"You really mean it?" the genius asked hesitantly, a little surprised by her response.

"Of course I do. Now don't you ever, and I mean EVER, shut me out again. No matter how strange your life gets, don't leave me hanging like this," the redhead chastised as she looked Tony straight into his eyes as if she was digging into his soul.

Tony nodded "yes", completely at a loss for words. He didn't know what else to say; everything was out in the open and all that was left was to ask her to stay with him until the child was born. When he tried to spit out the words, it simply became a jumbled mess. Pepper, however, was able to read Tony like a book, and quickly ended the silence between them.

"I know what you want to ask, Tony. I'll take care of you until the baby's born. It's obvious that you're on bed rest. I don't know how you manage to carry him around. Just look at that belly!" Pepper joked as she rubbed Tony's baby bump as if it was a lamp containing a genie.

"Hey now, take it easy! It's not my fault, blame it on Steve!" Tony replied with a smirk as he teasingly slapped her hands away from his belly.

_Everything's going to be okay. Pepper and I are back on good terms and I have someone to take care of me and keep me company. She's great and all, but she's not Steve… I wonder how he's doing in Afghanistan, _he thought to himself, but soon the thought was abandoned altogether when Pepper pressed her soft lips gently to Tony's.


	39. Chapter 39

_Thank God that's over… _Steve thought to himself as he walked off of the large, well-lit stage. The crowd was roaring; he could hear soldiers clapping, whistling, and screaming his name, asking for an encore. The super-soldier waved bye to the crowd and walked back to his temporary quarters to change out of the Captain America attire that had made him so famous.

It surprised him that the soldiers, male and female alike, were enthusiastic and overjoyed by his appearance at Camp Eggers. The last time he attempted to rally the troops, it was a complete disaster; all they wanted to see were beautiful women wearing short skirts. These days, however, the atmosphere was different entirely, and now his appearance alone aroused the soldiers in a way that hadn't been seen in years.

_It's nice that I can help revive the spirits of my fellow soldiers with these USO shows, but I really want to go home. I left this life behind a long time ago, and I don't understand why I'm back out here on the stage shelling out cheesy lines for everyone to eat up. I feel like a lame mascot… _Steve sighed to himself as he put on a beige t-shirt, baggy cargo army pants and his new, shiny dog tags.

It was scorching hot out that day, and even though his room was air conditioned it did little to cut the heat. Steve was sweating profusely, feeling as if he was damned to Hell for all eternity. The fine sand that covered the terrain found its way into everything; his hair, his eyes, not to mention his ass-crack. He couldn't stand Afghanistan, even though he was given decent meals, a comfy bed, and a fat paycheck from the United States government. Being the "Star Spangled Man with a Plan" was entertaining all of those years ago, but now he felt like a tired-out hussy who'd been on the corner for far too many years.

He looked around his room intently, thinking back to his past army service. The walls and floor were a dull white, and there were no decorations. The twin-size bed with a black, brushed metal frame was covered by starched white sheets and a military green blanket and placed in the left corner of the room. Next to the door was a small desk made of pine with a laptop, several pens, and some stationary sitting on it. In the back of the room was a small wardrobe for all of Steve's military attire, along with his Captain America uniform.

_Why did I ever want this life, anyway? I guess when you don't have anyone you'll do anything to find a place to belong… I don't know how all of these soldiers can leave their dames behind... Now that I have Tony and a little one on the way, the only reason I could see a person wanting to fight for their country is the money. If I would have had them in the past, I don't know if I would have enlisted, _Steve thought to himself as carefully examined his Cap suit.

In the two months that Steve had been entertaining the troops in Afghanistan he grew tired of the suit. While he appreciated all of the tender loving care that Coulson put into designing it, Steve just didn't feel like it represented the person he had become. Suiting up made him feel as if he was a walking talking action figure, spitting out pre-recorded catchphrases to give people hope that they were making the right choice in devoting their lives to government interests. He didn't like being put on a stage, staring down at people who appeared to be a massive worshipping blob made up of camouflage and buzz cuts.

After several minutes, he tossed the uniform on the closet floor and lay down on his bed and shut his eyes. He hoped that a nap would help him tune out all of the commotion that was going on in his mind, even if it was only for a brief span of time.

"Hey, Captain," a familiar voice said softly from the doorway.

Steve, startled by the unexpected intrusion, fell off of the mattress. He was in complete disbelief of what he saw in front of him, and it took him several minutes to form an articulate sentence.

"The heat must be getting to me…" Steve said quietly as he sat back down on the bed, which squeaked in loud protest of his weight.

"I would have asked you to sign my cards, but my favorites were ruined. Nothing like blood to destroy a perfect vintage set," Phil said jokingly before joining the super-soldier on the mattress.

"Loki killed you on the Helicarrier," Steve responded, keeping his gaze firmly set on the cold, uninviting floor.

"They thought he did. When the morticians were about to zip me up in a body bag and put me in the freezer, they said I whispered 'avenge me, Captain America,' and well, that's why I'm here now," the agent replied with a soft smile as he put his hand on Steve's back.

"Uh… Well, I'm glad that you're alive, Coulson, though I'm not sure how. Didn't he stab you in the chest with his scepter?" the super-soldier questioned, trying to ignore the unintentionally creepy statement.

"Yeah, it went completely through my chest. I had to get a lung transplant, and I have a huge scar, but other than that I've recovered pretty well. Want to see the scar?" Phil asked as he pointed to his chest.

"No, thanks. It's nice to see you again, soldier," Steve replied with a smile as he stood up from the bed and walked back over to the closet.

"How is the suit working out for you?" the agent asked excitedly, his face lit up with joy as he focused his attention on his childhood hero.

"It's… Nice. Now there has to be a reason why you're here. You wouldn't just show up to watch me do these USO shows. Wait, are you the one who arranged this?" the super-soldier questioned as he picked the now crumpled Captain America suit up off of the closet floor.

"Captain Rogers, while I would love to see you inspiring the troops every day of my life, I had nothing to do with any of this. The United States army owns you, body and soul. You're a soldier, and whether they need you to go behind enemy lines or gain the support of tired American troops, you have to do it," Phil responded, standing up and joining Steve by the closet.

"Wasn't my service in World War II enough? I don't understand why I have to be here…" the super-soldier sighed heavily as tears of frustration began to flow from his eyes.

"You're Captain America; your work is never done. You do have a purpose here in Afghanistan, Rogers, and you'll figure out what it is soon enough," Phil replied, his voice taking on a distant, angelic quality as he tenderly swept a tear from Steve's cheek.

Steve snapped awake and sat up, trying to catch his breath. He was drenched in sweat, and when he wicked away the perspiration with his hand it dripped from his fingertips.

"Phil?" the super-soldier blurted out, though no one answered him; he was all alone in his room.

He clapped his hands twice, turning on the large, circular fluorescent light attached to the ceiling. Steve thought he was going insane; he could clearly feel Agent Coulson's hands when they touched him and his breath when he spoke. After a few minutes, however, he was fully conscious and realized that what he experienced was only a dream.

_Of all people, why was Agent Coulson in my dream? I've thought about him a lot, but I don't know why I believed he was alive… And what did he mean when he said I have a purpose here?_ the super-soldier thought to himself as he gathered up his things to take shower.

Steve filled his gym back with his toiletries, a clean set of clothes, and a towel and headed to the communal shower room, hoping that no one would be there to disturb him. When he reached the showers, he looked at the waterproof clock on the wall, which read one in the morning. Knowing that few, if any, soldiers would still be awake, Steve stripped down without hesitation in the locker room and tossed his gym bag into a metal, military green locker. He removed his toiletries and towel from the sack and walked to the showers, trying to shake the dream from his mind.

The shower room was nauseatingly white, and it reeked with the basic scent of bleach. There were twenty shower stalls covered by dingy green shower curtains so soldiers could have some semblance of privacy. Steve walked over to the shower on the far right side of the room and turned it on, waiting patiently for the water to heat up. He set his towel on a rack next to the stall and brought his shampoo and body wash into the shower with him, setting the hygiene products on the tile floor.

When Steve began to lather up his body with soap, he heard a strange noise coming from outside of the shower stall. Curious to see what it was, he peeked his head out from the curtain and was shocked to see a young soldier standing in front of him, completely naked.

The young man had soft, peach colored skin, big violet eyes, and auburn hair styled in a crew-cut. The boy had a small, delicate mouth and a long, slender nose that was a little upturned at the tip. He was five feet three inches tall, had a wide-set frame with a chiseled six-pack, defined shoulders and firm, rounded pecs. He had a hairy chest and happy trail that led down to a thick thatch of auburn curls between his legs. His cock was of average length and width and was still soft. Before Steve could protest, the soldier quickly pushed himself inside of the shower stall and hid in the corner, appearing to be terrified of something.

The super-soldier, noticing the fearful expression plastered on the boy's face, decided to investigate the locker room. He left the shower water running, grabbed his towel and wrapped it around himself. When he started walking to the locker room, three brutish, physically unappealing young men came rushing in.

"Steady, soldiers. Why are you awake at this hour? Go back to your quarters," Steve directed, keeping a firm grip on the towel with his right hand to prevent it from falling down.

"Did you happen to see a short guy come in here?" the tall, hulking soldier in the middle of the other two boys asked in a rough voice.

"No I didn't. There is no reason for you to be looking for a fellow soldier unless he is in trouble, and I have reason to believe that if there is a problem that it has something to do with you three," the super-soldier said in a loud, booming voice, startling the three boys.

"Shit, you're Captain America, aren't you?" the boy on the left with a short, husky build asked, his voice shaking as the words left his lips.

"Yes I am, son. Now go back to your rooms and sleep before I take it upon myself to punish you for insubordination," Steve threatened, giving each of the boys a terrifying glare that pierced the very depths of their souls.

"Y-yes sir!" the soldier on the right with a medium build said before the three quickly scurried out of the locker room.

Steve shook his head in irritation and made his way back to the shower, where he found the young soldier crouched down on the shower floor. He was staring at the super-soldier with his eyes wide open, and a smile grew on his face.

"Thank you, Captain America," the boy said with a big smile as he got up from the tile and hugged Steve in appreciation.

"Off, soldier. I need to finish taking my shower, and then you and I are going to have a discussion about what just happened," Steve said flatly as he pushed the young man away and shooed him out of the stall.

When Steve finished bathing, he exited the stall, took his clothing out of the locker and got dressed. The boy was sitting on a bench next to him, still completely naked. The super-soldier tossed him the damp towel and the boy promptly wrapped it around his waist, covering up his private parts.

"You are going to come back with me to my room, I will give you some clothing, and then you are going to tell me everything," the super-soldier commanded as he grabbed his gym bag and walked out of the locker room, dragging the young boy with him.

"Wow, this is much nicer than where I'm staying. I wish I got a room to myself, you're lucky. But if they didn't give Captain America his own place, that would be pretty shitty. It's not like you have to be here like the rest of us," the kid said was a smirk as he put on a pair of grey sweatpants that Steve handed to him.

"Actually, I do. I didn't finish my contract with the military when I drove my plane into the ocean, so they decided to revive my stage career to make up for my absence. It's not exactly what I wanted to do, but you go where you're expected to I suppose. Now no more stalling; tell me why you came to my shower in the first place," Steve demanded from his seated position on the bed.

"Well, first off I want to say that I didn't know you were in there. I just ran as fast as I could to the end of the room and you just happened to be there. It was by accident, I promise. Well anyway those fuck faces don't like me because I'm… Well, you know, like you," the young soldier said as he sat down in the chair by the desk.

"What about me are you like?" the super-soldier questioned, confused by what the boy meant by the statement.

"I'm gay. So much for the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' Like that shit really changed anything. But I guess if you're going to put yourself out there then it's bound to happen. And I know what you're thinking, and I didn't hit on any of them. You saw how ugly they were!" the young man exclaimed, hoping that Steve would believe him.

"Yes, it definitely is tough out there. I was lucky enough not to be questioned too much in regard to my sexuality, but maybe it just comes with my name and title," Steve responded, thinking back to how relieved he was by all of the overwhelming support he received after Tony forced him out of the closet.

"You were my inspiration, actually. The day you and Tony Stark had that press conference I had just turned nineteen years old. When I saw you two lock lips in front of all those people, I wasn't afraid to hide who I was anymore. Not even five minutes after my family and I saw that on the T.V., I told them I was gay. And you know what? My dad and mom said they already knew. It was such a relief!" the kid said with a big smile as he put his hand on Steve's knee.

"I'm glad I was able to help you, son. You know, I wasn't even planning on ever coming out to be honest. Tony made that choice for me. He's such a handful sometimes, but I guess they're the people who make life exciting," Steve responded as he put his hand on top of the young soldier's.

"You two do have great chemistry, it's intense. I've got to be honest with you, I've masturbated to the picture of you two on the cover of 'The National Enquirer' more times than I'd like to admit. I actually brought it with me," the young man stated bluntly, wiggling his eyebrows at Steve.

"I-I don't even want to dignify that with a response," Steve replied, completely taken aback by the boy's words.

"Just be flattered, believe me, it's a privilege. I sent you a letter after I came out, you probably wouldn't remember it though…" the boy said, averting his gaze from the super-soldier's.

"I received dozens of letters after that day… And if you describe what you sent me, I'm sure I'll remember it. I pride myself in my photographic memory, as Tony calls it," Steve said calmly, praying to himself that his memory wouldn't fail him.

"Well, it was on blue stationary with your shield on the bottom right. I addressed it with 'Captain Bad-Ass.' I don't remember what the content was, but I'm sure it was pretty amazing. I'd like to think I'm a good writer," the young man answered cockily, folding his arms on his chest to match his attitude.

"Your name's Jeremy isn't it?" the super-soldier guessed, vaguely remembering the letter the youth sent him.

"Yep, Jeremy Jedwether. That's a pretty damn good memory of yours, sir. Can I call you Steve?" Jeremy asked as a look of awe and appreciation formed on his face.

"Only if we're having private conversations, Jeremy. In public, you will address me as Captain Rogers and nothing else. If you slip, I'll have to punish you just like everyone else, understand?" the super-soldier stated firmly, not wanting to give the young soldier too many special privileges.

"I'll be good, I promise. I can take orders when I want to. Though your threat to kick my ass is enough incentive in itself not to mess up… I don't think I'd want you to punish me, you'd probably break me in half!" the boy joked as he got up from the chair and stretched, his expression showing just how exhausted he was from the ordeal.

"You can sleep here tonight. I don't want you waking your bunkmates up, especially after how they came after you tonight. Here's a sleeping bag; set it up and you can sleep on the floor. I will wake you up at four-thirty, and you can hop in the shower so you're prepared before your drill sergeant arrives for your morning P.T.," Steve directed as he grabbed a sleeping bag from underneath his bed and tossed it to the young man.

"Thanks for all of your help, Steve. You're awesome, you really are. I think we should be friends, that would be pretty sweet. You agree?" Jeremy asked as he unrolled the sleeping bag and crawled inside the fabric cocoon.

"Just go to sleep, soldier," Steve responded before clapping the light off.

_You were right, Coulson. I do have a purpose here, _Steve thought to himself with a smile before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep, thankful that he finally found something worth caring about in Afghanistan.

**Note: Jeremy Jedwether is an OC. **


	40. Chapter 40

"Come on, Pepper, hurry up! If I could move I'd do it myself… You're taking too long!" Tony whined loudly as Pepper carefully positioned herself on top of the genius, taking care not to put any pressure on his pregnant belly.

"I'm just being careful, Tony. I don't want to hurt you!" Pepper exclaimed as she slowly lowered herself onto the genius' cock, engulfing him in slick, wet heat.

"Oh fuck… God you feel so good. But do you really need to play this 'just be gentle, I'm delicate like a flower' shit?" Tony groaned as the redhead rode his condom-protected cock at a slow, steady pace.

"Yes, you are in a pretty vulnerable state right now Tony… And is that line from a Youtube video?" Pepper questioned as she continued to push herself on and off of Tony's raging erection.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. Now just fuck me already, I'm not getting any younger here!" Tony pleaded, desperate to achieve climax.

"Well then shut up and let me finish my work!" the redhead chided as she slammed her pussy down hard on Tony's cock, eliciting a loud yelp of pleasure from the genius.

Pepper fucked Tony for half an hour, switching up the pace from agonizingly slow to fast and rough every few minutes. After getting Tony off, she swiftly removed the condom, tied it up and threw it into the trash can before moving herself up to the genius' mouth. She brought her pussy up to Tony's mouth and he ate her out as if it was the last meal he'd ever be served. Pepper screamed loudly as he teasingly worked his tongue in a counter-clockwise motion around her clit, savoring the distinctly sweet taste of the redhead's pussy. Right as Pepper was on the edge of orgasm, Tony thrust his right index and middle finger inside of her, causing her to come so hard that she squirted all over his face.

"God, Pepper I forgot you could do that… Want to get me a towel sweet cheeks?" the genius said with a grin as he looked up at Pepper, whose face was as red as a strawberry.

"Way to kill the mood…" the redhead replied, her voice shaky as she collected herself and walked to the bathroom to grab a hand towel from the closet.

She gently wiped off Tony's face with the towel, tossed it aside and lay back down on the bed with him. Pepper cuddled up against the genius' right side, and she placed her head on his now b-cup breast. This had become their routine since Pepper arrived to the tower to help him a month ago, and Tony loved the way she felt pressed up against him. He desperately needed comfort during Steve's absence, and the redhead was the only person closest enough to him to provide it. Their sexual arrangement pleased the genius and he thought little about the possible repercussions until Pepper's soft, delicate left hand found its way to his arc reactor.

"Why do you think we do this, Pepper?" Tony asked hesitantly, remembering in that moment how much better Steve's large, rough hands felt on his chest than her smooth, slender ones.

"Because it's something we both need from time to time. You're not getting affection and I'm not getting affection. We know we can get it from each other whenever we want it, so we do it," Pepper replied bluntly as she lowered her hand onto Tony's protruding belly, feeling the baby kick as she did so.

"Yeah, I get that. I need to get laid and you take care of it like it's your job… There's no possible chance that you still have feelings for me, do you? Because if you do that's just going to make me feel even worse," the genius questioned as he carefully ran his fingers through her beautiful, soft red hair, taking care not to tangle it.

"No, Tony. When I ended our relationship, it hurt me a lot at first, but I can assure you that I don't love you romantically anymore. I just take comfort in having you around, and I never want you to cut me out of your life again. If sex is the way I have to keep you in my life, then I'll do it every time," Pepper responded as she looked up at Tony with a soft, loving smile, hoping it would ease his mind.

"We don't have to fuck for me to want you in my life, Pepper… And I really don't think that this is working," Tony said quietly, feeling disgusted with himself for allowing himself to indulge in his sexual desires while Steve was gone in Afghanistan.

"It helps both of us, Tony. I know you're thinking that I think that all you do is use me, but I don't. Think about this as just an extended part of our friendship," Pepper replied before moving up to Tony's face and tenderly kissing his slightly chapped lips.

"No, Pepper, that's not what I was thinking. You know this is just too fucked up. We can't do this anymore… You need to leave," Tony said with a sigh as he quickly pulled away from Pepper's lips.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" the redhead asked sharply, completely taken aback by the genius' statement.

"God you and I are such a fucking mess, you know that? I love Steve with all of my heart, but when he's gone I immediately turn back to you… This is not okay. I've been letting this go on for an entire month and I'm disgusted with myself," Tony said, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth as they escaped his lips.

"I…" Pepper started to say, but she was unsure of how to proceed with the conversation.

"Just because I'm fucking you and not someone else doesn't make this okay, and I don't know why I keep trying to justify this to myself. Why couldn't I have just used a dildo or something? I mean it would have sucked and I would have hated every minute of it, but this is the last thing I should have resorted to. God, how did this all even begin anyway? Someone just needs to castrate me..." the genius rambled on, covering his eyes with his right hand so he wouldn't have to look at Pepper.

"This is my fault," Pepper responded in a barely audible whisper as she sat up Indian style and put her head in her hands.

"No, I'm the one who couldn't keep his cock in his pants… Though you should give yourself at least twelve percent of the blame for this since you had to actually do the physical work because I'm basically a walrus now," Tony quipped, trying to use humor to rid himself of the guilt he felt from their affair.

"But I kissed you, Tony. The day I came over and saw you on the bed, looking so sad and lonely without Steve, it almost broke my heart," the redhead whimpered into her hands, realizing that she deserved well over twelve percent of the blame for their sexual transgression.

"Oh yeah, you did… I don't know how that slipped my mind. Must be the hormones or something. But you know if you didn't kiss me I don't think any of this would have ever happened…" Tony mumbled as he slowly sat up and leaned his back against the metal headboard.

"With the way you are, how could we really know for sure? With our history, we probably would have done this no matter who started it," Pepper replied as she turned her head to look at the genius, who was staring down at his belly.

"With the way I am? Hey, I haven't been unfaithful to Steve ONCE during our entire nine month relationship until you came here and kissed me. So look at yourself, Pepper. I was behaving and being a good fiancé until you showed up," Tony huffed loudly as he directed his cold, angry glare at Pepper.

"You're unbelievable, you know that? I didn't have to show up here, you called me. I'm sure you could have found someone else to take care of you in this awkward situation. Oh, wait a minute, no one else wants to put up with your shit!" the redhead shouted as she grabbed a pillow, threw it at Tony's head then quickly crawled off of the bed to put her clothes back on.

"That's not true at all! Bruce would help me, and so would… Well I'm sure there's someone else that would!" the genius yelled back as he threw the pillow in her general direction, though purposely missing her.

"Well you didn't even tell me you were pregnant until your eight month, so how in the hell would you explain it to anyone else? Especially Bruce, he doesn't even live around here anymore!" Pepper responded harshly as she swiftly hooked her violet push-up bra back up.

"Yes he does know, Pepper! He found out when I had you bring him here from Calcutta a few months ba… Well that was not exactly the best thing I could have said," the genius blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Wow, Tony. You really don't care about my feelings at all, do you? You and I have known each other for years, and not only did you leave me for Steve but you tell Bruce about the most important thing that's ever happened to you… You're right, I should leave. Don't call me unless you're dying. Oh wait, you can have Bruce help you with that too!" Pepper snapped back at Tony with such an intense mixture of sadness and anger that he thought he was going to be meeting his maker at any moment.

"Pepper, no, that's not why I did this! I wanted to protect you from all of this because…" Tony tried to explain, but she stormed out of the room without even bothering to put her cream white blouse and pinstripe black pencil skirt back on.

_I thought it would hurt you too much to know the truth…_ Tony finished the sentence in his head as he carefully sat himself down on the edge of the bed.

He bent down and grabbed his black, silk pajama bottoms and slowly pulled his swollen feet through the pant legs, taking care not to overexert himself. The act of sliding the soft cloth up to his waist was as much exercise that he could stand, and he fell back onto the bed, completely exhausted from the simple activity. He sighed heavily and rubbed his baby bump with his hands, wondering how he was going to make it through these next four weeks. Tony didn't want to do this without Pepper, and he was praying that she didn't leave him all alone in the tower.

"Jarvis? Did Pepper leave?" Tony asked sheepishly, nervous that she had left him all alone to fend for himself in his last month of pregnancy.

"No, Master Stark. She is in the kitchen sobbing into a napkin," Jarvis answered, sounding as if he felt sorry for Pepper.

_Guess I better go make things right… Why in the fuck couldn't I keep my mouth shut? I was getting pussy from someone that I know, it's not like I was really cheating on Steve. Well, I was, but still. It's Pepper for God's sake! Steve should be shaking my hand and congratulating me for being a good boy! Well… I haven't been a good boy. An alright boy would make more sense… _Tony thought to himself as gently rolled himself off of the bed and lumbered out of the bedroom to comfort his friend.

"Just get away, Tony. I don't want to deal with this right now," Pepper whimpered as she dried her eyes with the thoroughly used and abused napkin.

"Listen, Pep. I didn't mean to do this to you. I just had no idea how to tell you, and then Steve and I were having a shit ton of problems and I just didn't want to get you involved in everything. I don't know why I wanted Bruce around… I guess I just figured that he could handle it better since we don't have as much history," Tony stated softly as he sat down next to the redhead and wrapped his arms around her.

"Listen, save it. I know you don't know how to tell the people you're closest to the biggest things, and if I wasn't aware of that by now I'd be pretty oblivious. It just hurts, Tony. I've missed you so much that I couldn't help getting back into all this again," Pepper replied quietly as she waved her right hand in a dismissive motion.

"I missed you too, Pepper. I still like sleeping with you… You always know just what to do. I guess that's not going to change. If you didn't have that dominatrix vibe about you all the time I'd be able to resist!" the genius joked, hoping that they could just forget about all of the strong emotions and go back to the way they used to be.

"It's really not the time for jokes. If I'm going to stay here and help you while Steve's away, you're right in that we have to stop this. We're just hurting Steve and each other by sleeping together. It's bringing back old memories that need to be left in the past…" the redhead muttered as she directed her gaze to Tony, who was staring at her intently.

"Yeah, I couldn't agree more. Though I'll admit, I'm going to have urges to fuck you from time to time, just as a forewarning. But now that we've got that out of the way, let's shake on it. I vow that I'll never fuck you senseless ever aga…" Tony's voice trailed off as he lost consciousness and began to convulse against Pepper's body.

"Oh God, Tony! Jarvis, call Doctor Westenberg, now!" Pepper cried out as she moved the genius' arms off of her and held onto him tightly, keeping him from falling onto the floor.

Half an hour later, Tony woke up in a hospital bed and he was lying flat on his back. He was wearing an ugly mint green hospital gown, and as his vision returned to normal he noticed that he was connected to an IV, there were monitors on his chest, and there was a privacy screen preventing him from seeing below his chest. As he regained consciousness, he noticed a visibly frantic Pepper sitting in front of him, dressed in a surgical mask and gown.

"Pepper? Where are we? Why are you dressed like I have the plague? Am I dead?" Tony asked quietly before a nurse put an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose.

"We're at S.H.I.E.L.D's maternity ward, Tony. Shh, shh, it's okay. Martin's got this all under control. Everything's going to be just fine, I promise," Pepper whispered as she took his left hand in hers.

"But I'm not due for another month… What's going on?" Tony questioned as his body began to feel numb to the touch from the anesthesia that was being administered into his veins.

"Anthony, I'm afraid you're having some complications. You just experienced eclampsia, which is a seizure that derives from preeclampsia. I have to perform a cesarean section. Your condition is far too dangerous for you to be able to finish out the next four weeks of the pregnancy," Martin answered as he began to make a horizontal incision above the space in which Tony's pubic hair began.

He worked swiftly yet efficiently, taking great care not to injure Tony further. Before Pepper and Tony even knew what was going on, Martin pulled the small, premature child from the now gaping incision, and a hefty male nurse quickly suctioned the mucous out of the baby's nose and mouth while another chubby male nurse clamped and cut the umbilical cord. The baby was handed to a young African American woman, who took the child away for several minutes. Martin quickly stitched Tony back together and wiped the blood away from his midsection before removing the privacy screen.

"Can I see him? Is he okay? Did something happen to him, is that why you took him away?" the genius asked weakly as he made eye contact with Pepper, who was in a state of shock at having witnessed the miracle of a successful male pregnancy.

"No, your child is fine, Anthony. Doctor Enders simply needs to weigh the baby and check his vitals. We will wheel you into the recovery room, and you can hold him when she's finished," Martin said confidently, feeling proud of himself for delivering a baby from the world's first case of a pregnant man.

Tony was taken to the recovery room, which was painted powder blue with a white trim, and the floor was made of white linoleum. There were pictures of happy families with babies cradled gently in their arms all over the walls. He frowned and sighed heavily when he realized that they were all heterosexual, white couples who more than likely came from ritzy neighborhoods.

As the chubby nurse helped position Tony on his side so as not to put too much strain on his freshly sutured stomach, Doctor Enders handed Pepper the screaming child, which she promptly gave to the genius.

"Congratulations on the healthy bundle of joy, Mister Stark. He weighs exactly five pounds, nine ounces, and because of this and the fact that he is premature we'll need to keep him in the hospital for a few days, though you'll be able to see him. His vitals are stable; we just need to watch over him to make sure that he doesn't have any birth defects," Doctor Enders said with a big smile as she watched the genius cradle the wailing child in his arms.

"God, he's beautiful. Hey, little guy, I've been waiting to meet you for months. You've got quite the thick head of hair! It's almost as awesome as your old man's, but not quite. Once you're old enough I'm teaching you how to style that unruly mop of yours," Tony cooed to the child, who stopped crying the instant he heard his voice.

"So, Tony, I absolutely cannot take the suspense anymore. You never did tell any of us what you and Steve decided to name him," Pepper said with a smile as she gently ran her fingers along the baby's soft, chubby little arms.

"Peter Benjamin Stark-Rogers," Tony beamed weakly as he kissed his baby on the cheek tenderly.

After a few seconds, the genius slowly slipped away into another unconsciousness state. Without skipping a beat, Pepper took the child from Tony before he began to convulse violently, frothing at the mouth as his back arched into a painful angle. The two large nurses quickly wheeled the hospital bed out of the recovery room, and Martin quickly rushed behind them.

"Tony!" Pepper cried out as she began to follow the medical team, but Doctor Enders used her body to block the doorway, preventing her from leaving the recovery room.

"He'll be okay, Miss Potts. Sometimes when a person experiences eclampsia they have seizures a few days after they give birth. Everything will be alright, don't worry yourself too much over it," the young doctor said with a smile as she directed Pepper to sit in a small rocking chair in the corner of the room.

_I hope so… If he dies what am I going to tell Steve? What's going to happen to Peter? God what if I have to raise him? For all I know Steve could be dead in Afghanistan! _Pepper thought to herself as she broke down into tears, which rolled down her cheeks and onto the baby's thick mop of chocolate brown hair.

Peter began to scream loudly, and soon it appeared that there were two newborns in the room, terrified of life and what it had in store for them if Tony didn't make it through.

**Note: Doctor Enders is an OC.**


	41. Chapter 41

Since Steve and Jeremy met, the two had become almost inseparable. Steve acted as the young soldier's protector, keeping him safe from the wrath of the homophobic soldiers in his platoon. Jeremy was beaten up several times, and in each incident the super-soldier came to his aid and pulled the ignorant, guilty young men off of him and took them to receive punishment. The general in charge, who Steve had knocked out cold several months ago, was unconcerned with the homophobic conduct, however, and always dismissed Steve's demands that they receive harsh discipline. All the general would ever say in response was that "the little faggot needs to learn to take a beating," and then go on his merry way, leaving the super-soldier completely dumbfounded.

The super-soldier took measures into his own hands, and soon Jeremy was staying in Steve's private quarters. He managed to pull some strings at Camp Eggers by discussing the situation with the Lieutenant General, who agreed to help the youth out in exchange for a sexual favor. After Steve swallowed his pride and some bitter tasting semen, the lieutenant filled out some paperwork allowing Jeremy to stay with Steve on the condition that the young soldier was to return to the platoon's quarters early in the morning each day before PT began.

"Thanks for saving me from all of those stupid cunt faces, Steve. Those sons of bitches really must come from hick ass, shitty places… Hell most of them are here because they want to fight these 'hajis', even if they haven't done anything wrong. On the bright side, at least I got some good punches in," Jeremy said proudly in his seated position on the desk chair as Steve washed the dried blood from the young man's nose and mouth with a white washcloth.

"For having five guys come at you, I'd say you did a great job, J. I wish there was more I could do for you… I guess when it comes to bullying the army really hasn't changed much. You would think in this day and age that they'd leave you alone. Maybe I should see if I can have you transferred to another camp; I could find you an accepting and friendly platoon. I'm going to get some ice for your eye, it's pretty swollen," Steve replied as he tossed the cloth, now soiled with blood, in the trashcan and got up to leave the room.

Before the super-soldier even took a step toward the door, Jeremy clamped his right hand down on Steve's wrist. There was a look of anxiety in the young soldier's beautiful violet eyes, and he began to shake a little.

"No, don't transfer me somewhere else! That means I'll have to leave you, and I really don't want that. You're the only person I've ever felt close to next to my twin sister, and she's…Hanging with the Big Guy these days," Jeremy's voice trailed off as he swallowed hard, trying to keep himself from tearing up.

"Okay, okay, I won't, J. You had a sister? Why didn't you tell me? What happened to her?" Steve questioned as he got down on his knees in front of the young man so they were staring directly into each other's eyes.

"Just forget I said anything," the young soldier whispered as he broke eye contact with Steve and looked down at the floor, uncomfortable with the feeling of vulnerability.

"No, I'm not going to drop this. You and I have opened up a lot to each other already, and I don't want to make boundaries about what we can and cannot discuss. We're fellow soldiers, and you're my friend. Come on, I know your favorite band is 'Stone Temple Pilots', you love chili and wish you could eat it at every meal, when you get out of the army you want to own five cats, and you collect action figures of Tony and I. Not only that, but you love reading James Baldwin novels, enjoy writing short stories in your spare time, can't get enough perverted jokes, and you're terrified of getting paper-cuts… I think you can tell me anything," Steve said kindly, hoping that by proving his superior listening skills to Jeremy that it would get him to open up about his sister.

"Damn you really do have a good memory… I'm impressed. I've never really had anyone listen to me before. You sure you want to know?" Jeremy asked hesitantly, unsure if he was ready to share such a painful memory.

"Yes, please tell me Jeremy, I'm here for you. I'll do anything you need me to," the super-soldier responded, putting his right hand supportively on the young man's left shoulder.

"Okay, I'll try to do this without getting too emotional… Well I guess I should start off by telling you that her name was Tamara, and that she was absolutely beautiful. She was almost six feet tall, had violet eyes like mine, and she was a little heavier set, but in the good way. You know, curves and all that stuff that straight guys and lesbians go crazy for. Man the only way you could tell we were related is by our faces. Everyone always thought I was her little brother because I'm so short. It fucking sucked, but she always stuck with me even though I was the little pussy bitch when we were kids," Jeremy said somberly, clearing his throat after the words left his lips.

"Tamara's a gorgeous name," Steve stated with a nod of approval, encouraging Jeremy to continue on with the story.

"She was fucking tough. She didn't take shit from anyone, and if someone bullied me for being small, let me tell you the next day that kid wouldn't be able to walk. God she was the only reason I got through childhood… I don't know what I would have done, but I could talk about all of those things forever, she really was an amazing person," the young soldier said as a brief smile flickered on his face.

The super-soldier looked into his eyes and gave him an affectionate smile, giving Jeremy the strength to continue on.

"Well, I'll fast-forward to the last week of our senior year of high school. Tamara and I went to a party, and while we were there this guy kept giving me strange looks. I just ignored him, thinking it was nothing, and when I went to take a piss in the bathroom the kid barged his way into the room. He was a big, stocky hockey player, and he reeked of alcohol. I tried to run out of the bathroom, but he grabbed me and slammed me against the wall so my stomach was pressed up against it. I kept squirming, but he wouldn't let me go of me, and before I knew it his cock was in my ass… And God it hurt so bad, Steve. It was the first and only time I've ever had sex… And the fact that my first time was because of rape still causes me a lot of problems today. I was bleeding and screaming for help, hoping someone would come upstairs and save me. Tamara heard me and ran up to get me, and she slugged the guy in the face and pushed him off of me. He got pissed and punched her so hard in the temple that she died instantly… Who knew that one punch could kill you?" Jeremy whimpered as he looked away from Steve so he wouldn't start crying.

Without saying anything, Steve quickly took Jeremy out of the chair, cradled him in his arms and laid him down on the firm mattress. The super-soldier then joined him and pulled the young man up to his chest, allowing Jeremy to rest comfortably on him. The tears began to flow from Jeremy's eyes, and Steve pulled him into a tight embrace in an attempt to soothe him.

"Everything will be okay, Jeremy. Thanks for sharing that with me, it means so much to me that you trust me this way. I'm never going to let someone hurt you like that, I promise," Steve whispered tenderly as he planted a kiss on the young soldier's forehead without realizing it.

"Promise?" the young man asked before moving up and kissing the super-soldier on the lips.

"Promise," Steve replied in between kisses, and soon the two men were tangled up in the sheets, giving each other the affection they were starved for.

Two weeks later, Steve was sitting on his bed, sulking like a five year old boy who didn't get to play outside during recess. Today was Tony's due date, and it was hard for the super-soldier to believe that forty weeks had already come and gone. It hurt him to know that Tony was giving birth to their first, and hopefully not their last, child completely by himself. Steve hoped that Pepper was there to hold his hand throughout the whole endeavor, though he was not sure if Tony managed to muster up the strength to tell his best friend yet.

Steve, feeling more depressed and lonely than he had in months, began to sob into his hands as he sat on the edge of the firm mattress. He was sick and tired of the military life, and all he wanted was to go home to his fiance and precious newborn. There was only one thing keeping him sane at Camp Eggers, was Jeremy, the boy he took under his wing and hoped to guide into a better existence.

"Hey, why are you crying sweetheart?" Jeremy questioned in a worried, concerned voice as he wrapped his arms around the super-soldier's broad shoulders from behind.

"I miss my babies," Steve replied, his voice muffled by the palms of his hands.

"Babies? I thought you only had Tony… Well you have me too, but you really can't miss me when I'm right here with you," the young soldier said as he tenderly kissed the super-soldier's neck.

"It's difficult to explain, Jeremy. It's such a complicated situation and I'm not sure that I can tell you about it…" the super-soldier said as he sat up straight and rubbed the tears from his red, puffy eyes.

"Please tell me! You know I can't stand secrets… It's going to drive me absolutely insane if you don't tell me, and I don't think you want to deal with one of my freak outs," Jeremy whined as he wiped away the remaining tears on Steve's face.

"I got Tony pregnant. The super-serum that I was given decades ago altered my DNA and made it possible for me to impregnate both men and women. Today is the day that he's supposed to have a C-section so our little Peter will be a part of this world. I can't even be there to witness it, and it's fucking killing me. I can't talk to Tony since they won't let any of us communicate with our friends and family, and I feel like my heart's been torn to pieces. This situation is just a pile of shit," Steve sighed as he placed his large hands on top of Jeremy's smaller ones.

"First off, I have to say that is by far one of the coolest things I've ever heard in my life. I can't believe you can get guys pregnant, that's intense. Wait a second… Does that mean I might be pregnant too?" Jeremy asked, his voice laced with a mixture of curiosity and worry.

"We've been using condoms so we have nothing to worry about. Good thing I have connections and people don't ask questions. You know, if I didn't meet you J I don't know if I'd be able to survive here in Afghani territory," Steve said softly as he gently brought up Jeremy's left hand to his lips and planted a gentle kiss on his palm.

"Yeah, I am pretty great, aren't I? I'd like to think I know how to give people just what they need in times of crisis," Jeremy responded lovingly as he nuzzled his face into Steve's neck.

"When you get out of Afghanistan you should really consider being a therapist…" the super-soldier moaned as the young man slowly ran his tongue up and down Steve's neck.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. And you know what? I promise I'll go to college and become a therapist if you promise to be my best friend for life, no matter what happens between us," the boy said as he began to remove Steve's coffee colored t-shirt.

"Deal," was all the super-soldier was able to say as Jeremy pulled Steve down onto the stiff, military standard mattress.

The young soldier grabbed a condom from the desk drawer, tossed it to Steve, who was undoing his belt buckle and pulling down his camo pants and boxer briefs to expose his unnaturally large cock.

"I still can't get over how big your cock is, Steve. I think it could be the eighth wonder of the world. Now put on the condom and let me ride you into next year, baby," Jeremy said with a smirk as he shucked off his own army-issued pants and dingy white t-shirt.

Steve, starved for love and affection, quickly put on the condom, though he took care to make sure it was on properly. Jeremy crawled back onto the bed and spit all over the super-soldier's condom-sheathed dick, using the fluid as a make-shift lubricant. After Steve was prepared, Jeremy slowly lowered himself onto his fellow soldier's massive erection, groaning loudly as it thoroughly stretched out his asshole.

"I don't know how anyone could get used to your big, thick cock Steve… Tony must be loose as hell," Jeremy blurted out crassly, caring little about the offensive nature of his words.

"Please don't talk about him when we do this, Jeremy. I already feel guilty about what we do, and I just don't want to think about him right now," Steve sighed as he grabbed the young man's hips and pulled him down farther onto his cock.

"Y-yes baby, I'll keep my mouth shut," the young soldier whimpered with a nod as Steve's forceful thrust made him wince.

The super-soldier fucked into Jeremy's body slowly and intimately, gently hitting the younger man's prostate with each thrust. While he loved the view of the young, spry, barely legal boy writhing on top of him, Steve couldn't help but pretend it was his precious, pregnant Tony. He missed the genius' protruding belly that carried the life they created together; he missed Tony's small, perky breasts that were ready to provide nourishment to their child; but most of all he missed the devilish grin that was always painted on the genius' face when they made love.

Before he was sent to Afghanistan, Steve never understood why Tony had so many one night stands. He always thought it was disgusting and inappropriate, and it never made any sense to him why he constantly craved sexual attention. Now that he was in a foreign country without his fiancé's warmth and comfort, Steve finally understood why Tony behaved the way he did; the need for affection was so great that he could no longer control himself. Now the super-soldier had resorted to the same coping tactics that Tony used in his past. Unlike Tony, however, Steve was unable to shut himself down emotionally and prevent himself for developing a deeper, more intimate bond with the boy on top of him.

"I love you," Steve blurted out as he pulled Jeremy down for a kiss as he came, filling up the condom to the brim with cum.

"I knew it…" Jeremy replied with a smile before his body shook, releasing his seed all over Steve's perfect, chiseled chest.

The young soldier gently pulled himself off of Steve's cock, laid down beside Steve and curled up against his sticky, semen and sweat covered chest. The super-soldier carefully removed the condom, tied it up and threw it into the trash bin across the room. He sat completely still, his eyes wide with shock at his confession. Steve had been trying to resolve those feelings within himself for the past few weeks, and now that his love was out in the open he didn't know what he was going to do.

"You know, you're a really difficult person to read I'd say. When you're out in public you come across as this straight-laced, serious guy who can't even take a joke, in all honesty. But when I met you, I knew that it was all just a front… And I'm so glad you proved me right. When did you realize that you love me?" Jeremy asked softly as he caressed Steve's clean-shaven face.

"I didn't mean to say that, it was a mistake," the super-soldier replied bluntly, hoping that lying would rid him of his true feelings.

"No it wasn't, and you know it. No need to lie to yourself, baby. No matter how much you deny it the feeling's still gonna be there, and now that it's out in the open you can't take it back. If it makes you feel better, I sincerely love you too," the young man said affectionately as he looked up and saw the fearful expression on Steve's face.

"How am I going to tell Tony? I want to be with him, he's my fiancé for goodness sake! You're just… A wartime fling. No, you're more than that. Now I'm in what Tony calls a 'love triangle' aren't I?" Steve asked as he slapped his right hand to his forehead in frustration.

"Yep. But it's okay, it really is. After you get out of here and go home to Tony and Peter, you and I aren't going to need each other for comfort anymore. The sex will stop, and you and I will just continue to be best friends. We're just helping each other get through a rough time is all. Believe me, the last thing I'd do is try to break you and the guy that created Iron Man up… He'd probably shoot a repulser blast right at my dick," Jeremy said with a chuckle as he moved Steve's hand and gave him a peck on the lips.

"You're probably right about that. He's such a drama queen sometimes! But I love him all the same," Steve replied with a smile, thinking fondly of all the ups and downs he and Tony shared as a couple.

"Do you feel better now, baby? 'Cause this being worried and scared just because you and I are making each happy is gonna drag this whole night down," Jeremy replied with a smirk as he sat up and began to tickle to the super-soldier's happy trail with both hands.

"Yes, yes! Okay, I'm better now… Prepare for a pillow fight soldier!" Steve laughed as he rolled away from Jeremy and smacked him with a pillow.

_Maybe Jeremy is right… We love each other, but it's just the kind of love you feel in a good friendship. Though this is different from how I felt about Bucky, who was really my only friend back in the past… No, there's no sense in comparing two friendships, they're all different. Well I guess loving two people isn't so bad, I know who I want to end up with, so everything should be alright… right?, _Steve thought to himself, trying to justify his actions and push away the guilt that loomed over him.


	42. Chapter 42

After Tony spent a month in the hospital recovering from his C-section and receiving treatment for his severe seizures, Pepper was finally able to take him and his newborn son Peter back to the tower. As soon as they arrived, Tony realized that he had completely forgotten about one crucial detail of welcoming a child into the world: setting up a nursery.

"Tony, how could you possibly forget to get a room set up for Peter? That would be the first thing I'd plan out if I was going to have a baby…" Pepper said with a sigh as she slapped her right hand to her forehead.

"Steve and I were going through a lot of shit, okay? And when he left, I didn't know what to do with myself… I mean come on, I was pregnant, raging with hormones, and I was an emotional queen! You know, you could have said something before I had my little bastard," the genius grumbled as he cradled the sleeping baby in his arms as they sat on his large bed.

"Well how was I supposed to know you didn't have a baby room? You never made any indication that you didn't have one prepared, and I assumed with Steve around it was complete already… And why would you call your kid a bastard? That's terrible!" the redhead retorted, offended by Tony's crass statement.

"Steve and I aren't married so it's a legitimate thing to call him! Peter can't understand what I'm saying anyway, and I've always wanted to use the word to describe someone's kid… Might as well be mine since I have the opportunity," Tony replied casually, indifferent towards Pepper's reaction.

"God you're a piece of work. The longer Steve's away the more you become like your old self. Please tell me you're not going to start drinking again and flirting with everything that has a vagina or dick between its legs," Pepper said with a shudder as she thought of Tony getting drunk and sleeping with strangers again.

"I would never drink with Pete around! I don't want it getting in my breast milk or something. The last thing we need is a drunk baby on our hands. Though it would be pretty interesting to see…" Tony's voice trailed off as he imagined his infant with a lampshade on his head and giggling uncontrollably, though he knew at this stage of life that would never be possible.

"Good. If you so much as consume one alcoholic beverage I'm going to make sure you never have a child ever again," Pepper threatened as she shot her ex-lover a stone-cold glare.

"Well you'd have to neuter Steve, not me. I can't get anyone pregnant. Unless you're saying you're going to do something to my ass… Okay that's definitely what you meant. I'll be good, I promise," the genius replied softly, growing uncomfortable by the stare down he was receiving from his close friend.

"You better be good. Now, I'm going to hire some contractors to come here and create a clean, tidy, and completely furnished baby room by the end of the night. Is there a specific room you'd like for Peter before I make some phone calls?" the redhead asked politely, returning to her normal, poised demeanor.

"Yeah, the guest bedroom next to me and Steve's room would be perfect. That way when he wakes me up at night I won't have to go very far. I'm still pretty sore from the C-section. God it's going to be a horrific scar I bet… Hey, at least it'll match the ones on my face, right?" Tony joked, trying to make light of the whole situation.

"I guess if that's the way you want to look at it, Tony. One more thing; is there any specific design you'd like for Peter's room?" Pepper asked as she got up from the bed and pulled her cellphone out of her light blue jeans.

"Duckies. Definitely duckies," the genius replied without hesitation as an innocent smile grew on his face at the thought.

"Fair enough," Pepper said with a smile before leaving the bedroom to make a few phone calls so a nursery could be put together before nightfall.

_How in the hell did I manage to forget about that? Damn I know I can forget to do things sometimes, but something THIS important? God this whole "daddy" thing is fucking stressful. This whole situation is just pure shit without Steve… I don't know if I'm cut out for this. If I can't even think to make a room for Peter to sleep in how in the fuck am I going to do this? At least at the hospital other people took care of him for me. They knew exactly what to do… Not me. I bet Steve would take to parenting immediately; he's such a nurturing person by nature. Our baby's going to turn out wrong without him here, _Tony thought to himself condescendingly as he looked out of the bedroom window from his bed, wishing that Steve would come crashing through to save the day.

He was snapped out of his self-loathing when Peter began to stir. Tony looked down to see the infant making a sucking motion with his mouth as he turned his head toward the genius' chest. After a few minutes of observing the child, it finally dawned on Tony that Peter was hungry and needed to nurse.

"Uh, Jarvis? How am I supposed to hold Peter when I feed him?" Tony asked shyly, feeling unsure of himself now that he was alone with the infant.

"I would suggest the cradle hold, sir. Carefully hold Peter so his head is resting on your forearm, and situate him so he is facing your chest," Jarvis instructed as he pulled up a picture of a woman breastfeeding her child while holding the baby in a cradle position for Tony to see.

"Thanks, Jarvis. Well, let's see how this goes…" the genius mumbled to himself as he lifted his clean, black wife beater to expose his left breast for the hungry baby.

Tony carefully situated Peter in his forearm and brought the infant's mouth to his breast, taking care not to jostle the child around too much. After a few seconds, Peter instinctively took the genius' nipple in his mouth and gently sucked the nourishing milk from it.

"Easy, little guy!" Tony hissed, displeased by the painful tugging sensation he felt as Peter nursed.

As Peter fed, Tony decided to film the event for Steve to watch later. Even though the super-soldier couldn't be there to witness all of the landmark events that would take place in the next few months of their son's life, Tony still wanted to make him feel like he was connected in some way.

"Jarvis, will you film this? Let me know when you begin; I'm going to say a few words," Tony commanded as he put on the biggest grin he could muster.

"Yes, sir. Filming in three… two… one," Jarvis counted, giving the genius a few seconds to prepare himself for the recording.

"Hey, Steve, look who's finally here! Yes, it is the one and only Peter Benjamin Stark-Rogers! Yes, I decided to hyphenate his last name so it would be fair, and you're welcome… I had to fight the urge to just give him my last name because it's so awesome, but since you're his father I know I had to include you. Well, anyway, this is Peter's first day home. We ran into a few complications on the way, and he was born exactly one month before his scheduled due date, which is today actually. Hmm… How about that? Oh, and he's quite the looker too, Steve. He has your sky blue eyes and my fantastic hair, but he still looks like all the other newborns as far as his face is concerned though… I'm digressing again. Back to where I started, this is Peter's first feeding at home. I'll be honest, this isn't exactly the most pleasant sensation in the world, but at the same time it's… actually pretty wonderful. I love seeing our little guy here in my arms getting everything he needs from me. The only thing that's keeping this moment from being perfect is you. We love you," Tony choked out with a bittersweet smile as he struggled to keep himself together.

After a few seconds of silence, Jarvis quit filming, and Tony's mind began to wander as he delicately ran his fingers through the infant's soft, unusually thick hair.

_To think Peter's journey to life started on the day me and Steve fucked for the first time… Damn where have these past nine months gone? We've been through so much shit… Come to think of it we've spent a lot of time apart. The day he left after Pepper and I broke up, when I was captured and raped… Not to mention when we fought about his aggressive behavior and we virtually had no contact for a week, and those two weeks where I kicked Steve out to work on his issues… And now he's been in fucking Afghanistan for three months and isn't allowed to communicate with anyone off base. I'm not even strong enough to get by three months without screwing someone because I'm lonely… How in the hell have we made it this far? Hopefully when he comes home it's all rainbows and flowers, _Tony thought to himself before a particularly powerful suckle from Peter jarred him back to reality.

Three hours later, Pepper walked into the room and found Tony lying on his side on the bed as Peter suckled his right breast, and it was obvious that the feedings were wearing the genius out.

"You're such a good mother, Tony," Pepper teased as she slowly got on the bed and laid down so she was looking directly into the genius' eyes.

"You know what, Pepper? I am a pretty awesome mom, and apparently my milk must be fucking delicious because this is the second feeding in three hours. All I can say is that my nipples are raw, bleeding, and that Steve's occasional brutal treatment of them didn't prepare me for this…" Tony said with a sigh as he gave Pepper a soft smile, trying to hide the sadness he felt inside.

"Were you crying, Tony? You look like you're more than just tired," the redhead asked as she lovingly rubbed the infant's back in a gentle, circular motion.

"I guess there's really no sense in hiding it… Yes I was. I just miss him so fucking much, Pepper. Looking at Pete is just a sad reminder that we're not really a complete family… Fuck, if something happens to Steve what the hell are we going to do? I don't want Steve to be gone all the time like how my dad was with me…" the genius whimpered as several tears dripped from his eyes and into Peter's hair.

"Tony, you know that he won't be gone forever. After these nine months come and go, he is relieved of his military obligations and then he'll have all the time in the world for you and Peter. Steve isn't like your father, and neither are you. You're doing a wonderful job, Tony, and if something were to happen to him I know you and Pete will be just fine. And remember, Aunt Pepper will always be here for you both," Pepper said soothingly as she kissed the nursing infant's chubby left cheek.

"Thanks for being here, Pepper. I don't know what I'd do without you," Tony replied quietly as he watched Peter turn his head away from his breast, squeeze his eyes shut and grunt loudly.

"Looks like someone just pooped! You need your diaper changed, don't you Peter! I know when you were in the hospital I took care of this part for you, Tony, and now it's your turn to learn. Are you read to try this?" Pepper asked as she got up from the bed and carefully took Peter into her arms.

"Uh, seeing as the little guy's my responsibility and not yours, I probably should. Where are we going to change him, anyway? I kind of, you know, didn't get any of that stuff..." Tony replied sheepishly, still feeling guilty about his lack of planning for Pete's arrival.

"The whole reason I came into your bedroom was to tell you that the room is ready, Tony. It only took three hours with the best contractors in the city," the redhead responded cheerfully as she carried the child into the room next door.

Tony slowly got up from the bed, pulled his black wife beater back down over his pouting belly and joined Pepper and Peter in the child's new room. When he stepped foot into the room, he was in complete awe of the sight that was before him.

The walls were lemon chiffon yellow, and on the top of the wall there was a border of little yellow ducklings walking through grass and daffodils. The wood trim on the bottom of the wall was painted white, and the floor was made of birch wood, which had not been modified from the room's previous use of housing guests. The crib, located on the right side of the room, was also made of birch. The mattress inside the crib was covered with a fitted sheet adorned with ducklings that matched the ones on the wall border. Next to the crib was a solid birch wood changing table, which had a lemon chiffon yellow hamper underneath it and a drawer for baby wipes, liquid baby powder, towels, and diapers. A high end Diaper Genie was located in the corner of the room, which was not far from the changing table. In the back of the room by a large window overlooking the city was a light yellow rocking recliner made of soft, stain resistant fabric. A light green and yellow patchwork quilt was folded neatly on the chair, and next to the rocker was a birch nightstand with an old fashioned clock sitting on top. To the left of the room was a small closet filled with baby clothes and toys which were all organized based on the age that the child would be able to wear the outfits and the suggested age that he could play with the toys. To top it all off, there was a framed poster on the wall of Steve with his head pressed against Tony's pregnant belly fixed securely on the wall by the crib.

"Wow, this is impressive… Steve would love this. It's not too flashy, but you can tell that all of this cost a hefty price tag. This is seriously awesome, Pepper. You hired the right people without a doubt, great work! Now I just have one question…" Tony said as he walked over to the poster on the wall and examined it closely.

"Yes?" Pepper responded hesitantly, worried that Tony disliked something about the nursery.

"Where did you get this? Because this looks like a still frame of a video I shot of Steve for the baby to listen to before he left…" the genius asked curiously as he continued to admire the tender, intimate image hung pristinely on the yellow wall.

"That's because it is. I had it made for you while you were in the hospital. One night when I came to bed and you were fast asleep, it was playing on loop and it moved me to tears. I thought that in Steve's absence this might help you feel better," Pepper replied softly as she brought Peter to the changing table, unbuttoned and pulled up his dark red onesie and carefully buckled the infant up with the safety straps to prevent him from rolling off the table.

"Thanks, Pep, it looks great with the room. Now it's time to go to work and clean up some shit… Jarvis, I'm going to need you to record this whole experience for Steve as well… Oh God," the genius said with a gasp as he caught a whiff of Pete's now soiled diaper.

"Stop being so dramatic! It's just poop, Tony," Pepper said with a sigh as she grabbed Tony's arm and led him over to the table.

"Okay, so first you're going to need to put the clean diaper underneath the dirty one. Then undo the diaper, lift his legs up gently by his ankles and remove the dirty diaper," Pepper instructed as she handed him a new diaper.

Tony did as he was told, and as soon as he removed the diaper Peter began to urinate, and the stream hit the genius directly in the face.

"God, what did I do to deserve this? Oh it smells so terrible and I'm covered in piss! Jesus Christ I can't handle this!" Tony cried out as Pepper wiped the pee off of Tony's face with a towel.

"Calm down, Tony. It happens sometimes! Now take the poopy diaper and hand it to me; I'll throw it in the Diaper Genie," the redhead said as she put the wet towel down on the table and held her hand out for the used diaper.

"Pepper, his shit's green. And it looks like guacamole. Is this normal? If I shit like this I'd probably be screaming for a doctor… Do we need to call one?" Tony questioned, nervous that there was something terribly wrong with Peter.

"No, that's normal for a breastfeeding baby, Tony. You really should have read a manual on babies… Now hand me the diaper and wipe him. Make sure you wipe front to back, not back to front," Pepper directed as she took the soiled diaper and tossed it in the trashcan.

"Alright, I wiped him so he's clean… I had to use three of them because there was so much shit… Man he can clear a room with this stench... Steve, he's just like you when you don't use the Febreeze spray after you drop a few bombs. You prepared me for this, and for that I thank you," Tony blurted out, causing both he and Pepper to burst out into hysterics.

"Okay, okay! We need to get back on track here, Tony. As fun as it is to make fun of Steve's bowel movements it's time to put the clean diaper on," the redhead directed after taking a moment to collect herself.

"Finally!" the genius replied enthusiastically as he brought the front of the diaper up, pulled the tabs on each side of the diaper and secured them, taking care to make sure they weren't too tight.

"Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Pepper asked as a big grin appeared on her face.

"It wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't awesome either. Steve, when you get home you are going to change every single diaper, no exceptions. Finish recording, Jarvis," Tony directed before pulling Peter's onesie back down and fastening the snaps over his clean diaper.

After Tony completed the treacherous task of changing Peter for the first time, he gave the infant to Pepper and took a quick shower to remove the stale smell of piss from his body. When he finished bathing, Tony went to his closet and pulled out on of Steve's old white t-shirts and a pair of black workout shorts and put them on before heading back to the nursery.

"I'll take him now. Peter and his daddy need a little recliner action," Tony said with a smirk as Pepper handed the small, crying infant to him.

"Of course. Have fun getting him to calm down," Pepper teased before leaving the room to take a shower herself.

"Jarvis, play the video of Steve," the genius commanded as he slowly sat down on the comfortable reclining rocker with Pete, who was still screaming.

After a minute of listening to Steve's voice, Peter's screaming winded down. His expression changed from one of frustration to one of calmness, and soon the infant stopped crying altogether.

"Hey little guy, you like your father's voice don't you? I know I sure do… I wish he was here to see you. This is just fucking bullshit. God sometimes it's good he's not here, he'd yell at me if he heard all the swearing I do around you," Tony said with a soft chuckle as the video continued to play for not only Peter's comfort, but for the genius' as well.

As Tony rocked the infant to sleep, he thought about how in just one day, Steve missed out on two of the biggest events of a newborn's life. The fact that the military took the super-soldier away from what mattered most angered Tony most of all, and he decided that he was going to take matters into his own hands. He wasn't going to make Steve wait another six month to see baby Peter.

"Jarvis?" Tony said softly so as not to disturb the light sleep stage that Peter was in.

"Yes, Master Stark?" Jarvis replied in an equally quiet voice, understanding the mechanisms of the baby's sleep cycle.

"I need you to find out where Steve is located in Afghanistan and get me in contact with whoever's in charge. We're paying him a visit," Tony stated boldly as he looked out the window, determined to go to any lengths necessary to see his fiancé again.


	43. Chapter 43

"Not again…" Steve sighed as he walked over to Jeremy, who was sitting on their bed, and got down on his knees and pressed a kiss to the young man's forehead.

Steve left Camp Eggers for one week in order to rehearse and perform in a USO show at Camp Black Horse, and when he arrived back at his private quarters he was not pleased with the sight in front of him. Jeremy was holding a towel, now stained with blood, on a gaping wound on his eyebrow. His left eye was black and swollen, there were small cuts all over his face, and there were marks imprinted on his neck from another man's hands.

"Really, Steve, it's alright. It could have been worse. No one sexually assaulted me, so it's all good. Don't worry about it baby, shit happens. If I didn't have this place to retreat to at night I would have been fucked though… figuratively and maybe literally. I don't know. The bleeding should stop any minute now, at least I hope so. It's been like this for a while now…" Jeremy said as he shrugged his shoulders, trying to act like he didn't care what happened to him.

"I'll never understand why the higher ups always turn a blind eye to this kind of abuse. If I had enough authority I'd give them all dishonorable discharges… Or send them on a mission they'd never come back from," Steve mumbled angrily before taking a several deep breaths, remembering the anger management technique that Lin Fen taught him.

"I agree, but since there's nothing we can do about it we just have to shrug it off and move on. And on the bright side, at least they ignore the fact that you and I pretty much live together. That's good, right?" the young man asked as a warm smile appeared on his face.

"Well I had to do some favors for you to be able to stay here, but that's beside the point. I just hate the fact that I leave for a week and you look like this. I'm just glad you're such a tough cookie otherwise I'd be worrying about you nonstop. You remind me of Tony in that way. He's a tenacious guy and can get through just about anything. Sometimes he needs a little help of course, like the way I'm helping you, but for the most part he can handle himself just fine," Steve stated in a soft, loving voice as he got up walked over to the closet to change out of the flamboyant suit he had grown tired of.

"Thanks, I really appreciate that Steve. Being compared to the one and only Iron Man's pretty kickass," the young solder replied with a toothy grin as he took the ruined towel away from his eyebrow, and gasped when he saw that the small towel was almost completely red.

"You're a trooper, J. And I really think you're going to needed stitches. I've never seen someone's eyebrow look that battered in a long time. It looks like someone took a hatchet to it, and to be honest it's a little horrifying," the super-soldier said with a worried frown as he finished getting dressed and helped Jeremy off of the bed.

"It was a pocket knife, actually," Jeremy stated nonchalantly as the two men walked to the nurses' station in the early evening.

An hour later, the two men returned to their quarters, and as soon as Steve closed the door Jeremy's lips smashed against his.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Jeremy moaned into the super-soldier's mouth as he led them over to the bed.

"God you're like an animal tonight… Why are you thanking me?" Steve asked in confusion as he and Jeremy tumbled onto the uncomfortable twin mattress.

"Because you refill my soul," the young soldier said tenderly as he slid down Steve's body and opened the fly to his camo pants.

Steve was taken aback by the words, and before he even had a chance to reply Jeremy started jacking him off with his right hand as he pressed kisses to the head of Steve's cock. The super-soldier was reduced to loud moans as he clung tightly to the bed sheets, shocked at how skilled the young man was with his tongue. Jeremy was a quick learner, and while he had nowhere near Tony's expertise Steve was still pretty content with the young man's sexual abilities.

"Jeremy, I'm not going to last much longer…" the super-soldier whimpered after fifteen minutes of the young soldier stroking and sucking his cock.

Jeremy quickly took Steve's length out of his mouth and stroked him in quick, short strokes, causing the super-soldier to release his seed all over his off-white t-shirt. After taking a few seconds to catch his breath, Jeremy got up off of the bed, grabbed a towel and wiped the cum off of the super-soldier's shirt to the best of his ability. He quickly tossed it on the floor and curled up next to Steve, wrapping both of his arms around the larger man.

"What did you mean when you said 'I refill your'…" Steve began to say, but he was cut off when his phone began to ring.

He quickly untangled himself from Jeremy and answered it, hoping that it was nothing too urgent. The moment he answered he heard the loud, booming voice of the Lieutenant General that allowed Jeremy to sleep in the super-soldier's quarters.

"Captain Steven Rogers," the lieutenant general said loudly, impatiently waiting for the super-soldier to respond.

"Lieutenant General Quincy Harkin, sir," Steve answered in a serious, emotionless tone, hoping that the official was not going to bother him with unpleasant news.

"Come to my office, now! And that's an order, soldier!" Harkin shouted before hanging up.

_The lieutenant's never called me for anything before… Something terrible must have happened. Please God don't let it be something with Tony and Pete. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to either of them. Please God, please let this be nothing, _Steve chanted in his mind as he quickly zipped up his pants and changed into a light green t-shirt.

"Get dressed and come with me, Jeremy. Hurry, we need to go now, no dawdling," the super-soldier commanded as he finished making himself presentable.

"Where are we going?" the young soldier asked as he scrambled to put on his tan army boots.

"Lieutenant General Quincy Harkin's office. I'm not sure what he wants, but I'm sure as hell not leaving you here by yourself. Get your pants and boots on now, soldier! We're wasting time," Steve ordered as he began to walk out the door motioning with his hand for the young man to come with him.

"Yes Captain Rogers, sir!" Jeremy answered with a grin as he quickly finished lacing up his boots and ran to the door.

Five minutes later, the two men entered the lieutenant general's office. It was small, painted an off-white color, and there were several pictures of the man's wife and young daughter on the wall. He was sitting at a large desk made of cheap, light brown pressed wood and there were papers strewn across its surface, along with a small black ashtray.

Lieutenant General Harkin was massive; he was over six feet tall and weighed around two hundred and fifty pounds of almost pure muscle. He had black hair that was clipped down with a two guard, a large, slightly crooked nose, and piercing black eyes. Steve found him to be unpleasant and disgusting, and couldn't help but blush at the memory of sucking his cock to save Jeremy from the bullies not long after they met.

"Captain Rogers, I'm going to start off by saying that if you even attempt to interrupt me I'll kick your ass into next week. And stop that goddamn blushing of yours, you look like a little pussy bitch. You got that?" the lieutenant general yelled out as he removed a pack of L&M cigarettes from his desk drawer, took out a cancer stick and put it in his mouth.

"Sir, yes sir," Steve answered without hesitation as he felt another wave of heat rise up from his chest to his face in embarrassment.

"Alright, good to see we're on the same page here. Now I called you here because I've been given orders to send you on a mission. I don't know where you'll be going or what you'll be doing; all I know is that you will be gone for one week. And don't even bother protesting; whatever the fuck you're going to be doing is a hell of a lot better than being at this shithole of a camp…" Quincy stated bluntly before lighting his cigarette with a small BIC lighter.

"Yes sir. I…" the super-soldier started to say, but was quickly cut off by the lieutenant general.

"Now you don't have to wear that spangly outfit of yours, unless you really want to. I imagine after doing the whole USO show nonsense you've probably had enough of that spandex bullshit. Someone pretty famous designed a new suit for you, and it looks pretty damn good. I bet that's a fucking relief at least," the lieutenant general said before taking a drag from his cigarette and blowing the smoke directly into Steve's face.

Steve nodded in reply, but was a little hesitant about the new suit. While he was used to the one Coulson lovingly designed for him, he was sick of it and ready for a change. All he could hope was that this wasn't some cruel, sick joke that would result in him wearing something feminine.

"I can tell you're not sure about that… You should trust me on this one. I'm being serious about this, Captain Rogers. It's waiting for you on your bed. Now, we have one more issue to discuss before the plane arrives for you at zero six hundred. Private Jedwether, go back to your room, and that's an order!" the lieutenant general shouted, startling Jeremy, who promptly scurried out of the office.

"Now, I'm making the assumption that you're still gonna want to protect this kid. Fuck, you were gone a week and look at him. Damn faggot's wrecked in the face… If anyone thought he was good looking before they sure as hell won't when he heals up. His noise is pointy, those eyes are huge and damn he's hairy… Definitely not a nice piece of ass to fuck… Must be why no one's sexually assaulted him yet. Oh well, I'm getting off track here. The point is, if you want him to come with you on this mission, I'll be more than happy to allow it. So long as you do a little something for me…" Quincy said with a devilish grin as he put out his cigarette in a small black ashtray and unbuckled his belt.

_Anything to keep J safe I guess… I know it helped having Bucky there for me, and everyone needs someone from time to time, especially during war. Besides, I'd do this for Tony too if it was absolutely necessary. Luckily I know he doesn't need me to protect him these days; people have left him alone since the "incident" a few months back… God I miss the way he lets me stroke the scars on his face he ended up with from the ordeal. He was so beautiful and vulnerable when I saved him, and his scars make him so much more than he was when I met him… God, just let me get through these next four months with my sanity intact, _Steve thought to himself solemnly as he got on his knees in front of the lieutenant general, praying the hulking man wouldn't last long.

"Get your ass in here, Steve! You're gonna love this!" Jeremy said giddily as he dragged a now somber Steve into their private quarters.

"Stop, J. I'm really not in the mood for your enthusiasm. Five minutes with Harkin is more than enough 'excitement' for one day," the super-soldier mumbled as he pulled away from Jeremy and sat down in the desk chair.

"I don't know what happened and I know you don't want to talk about it, I can tell. Well if you end up wanting to I'll listen of course. And baby, just look at your new suit, it'll definitely make you feel better, I promise. It's sweet tits man, so please just look!" the young soldier pleaded as he grabbed Steve's hands and attempted, unsuccessfully, to pull him into a standing position.

"Fine, fine, if it gets you to shut up for a little bit…" the super-soldier mumbled in irritation as he stood up and looked at the outfit lying neatly on the bed.

The suit appeared to be a revival of the one Steve wore during his military service in the 1940s. The helmet, chest, and pants of his new suit had a Scorpion Camo design, specifically used for the uniforms of American soldiers serving in Afghanistan. The forearms and mid-section were the color of desert sand, and his utility belt, gloves, and boots were tan. The large star on the chest of the suit, along with the "A" on the helmet, was a light brown color.

Steve carefully picked it up and rubbed the thick, somewhat rough material with his thumbs. He looked it over carefully, admiring the handiwork that went into creating the modern, yet classic, Captain America suit.

"I didn't even notice this part of the suit, Steve. Look at the design on the shoulder, it's awesome! It looks like…" Jeremy's voiced trailed as his eyes widened and his mouth opened in shock.

"It's a circle, and half of it's my shield and the other half is Tony's arc reactor. Oh my God, he designed this for me," Steve gasped as he quickly plopped down on the bed, hugging the suit tightly to his chest.

"Yeah, it even says 'Stark Industries' on the butt," the young soldier pointed out as he slowly sat down on the bed next to Steve.

"Yep, he definitely created this," the super-soldier chuckled softly as he imagined Tony giggling to himself as he drew the suit's backside on a piece of blueprint paper.

"I think it's crazy that he made blueprints of a Captain America Afghanistan combat suit and had someone put it all together. He must be really worried about you… I can understand that though, after his experience here a few years back," Jeremy stated matter-of-factly as he put his head on the super-soldier's shoulder.

"Yeah, before I left he warned me about the dangers here more times than I can count, but it's nice to finally have someone care this much about me. I sure do love him… And you of course," Steve added as he put his arm around the young man and pulled him close.

"I love you too, Steve. You know, you give people all you have, and you sure as hell have given me back what I lost when Tamara passed on to tear it up with God. Thanks for helping me through everything, even before you met me," the young soldier whispered into Steve's chest as he breathed in the alluring scent of the super-soldier's sweat and Old Spice Swagger deodorant.

"Alright, enough of this sappy stuff. Let's get dressed; we have a mission to go on in less than an hour," Steve said with a smile as he gave Jeremy a quick kiss on the lips.

Several minutes after five in the morning, the two men boarded the airplane. It was a small, bright white plane with absolutely no military markings. Steve suspected it was a private plane, and as soon as they boarded for their flight his hypothesis was proven to be true.

"This plane is pretty damn nice, Steve. It doesn't even really look like it belongs to the military!" Jeremy said excitedly when they boarded the aircraft.

"That's because it doesn't, J. What in the hell is going on?" Steve asked himself as the airplane door closed behind him.

There were only twelve seats in the aircraft; six on the left-hand side of the plane and six on the right-hand side. Each seat was large, dark blue, and made of a soft, comfortable material. The floor had a red strip of carpet in the center of the floor while the rest was a dark grey. There were two large flat screen T.V.'s on the front wall, and the movie "Armageddon" began to play. Steve had developed a love of Michael Bay films, much to Tony's disappointment, and this was the super-soldier's favorite. He began to feel uncomfortable, and soon sweat was beginning to form on his forehead. Something wasn't right about this situation, and he was terrified that this "mission" was some type of trap.

"Come on, sit down! They're playing an awesome movie. I fucking LOVE Bruce Willis… He's such a badass," the young soldier said excitedly as he sat down in a front seat on the left-hand side of the plane.

"I would have to agree with you on that one, J. I'm pretty fond of Steve Buscemi too. He always cracks me up," the super-soldier replied with a forced smile as he sat down next to the young man.

"What's wrong, Steve? Don't you love this movie?" Jeremy questioned in a worried tone of voice as he looked up at the handsome blonde sitting next to him.

"This whole situation is fishy… The U.S. army would never do something like this for a Captain, and if this is a legitimate mission we wouldn't be on a nice flight. Not only that, but we're the only people on the plane along with the pilots. I just wish I knew what was going on… This is the one thing I've always been annoyed with when it comes to the military. There are always so many secrets and it drives me up the wall," Steve huffed as he wiped the sweat from his brow before putting his head in his hands.

"I'm sure everything's going to be fine. Things normally work themselves out, and I'm sure we'll be all right wherever we end up. Military officials wouldn't trick us," Jeremy said calmly, hoping it would make the super-soldier relax.

"Why are you so naïve? Things are not as peachy as your complexion, Jeremy. This whole situation, everything single thing about it, is terrible. I've left my fiancé and son to be here, I have to be "The Star Spangled Man with a Plan" again, and I sacrificed some of my dignity for you. Sometimes I wish they wouldn't have found me in the ocean…" the super-soldier choked out as he took his hands away from his face and looked up at the ceiling as if God was looking straight down at him.

"Don't ever say that again. Actually, just don't talk the rest of the plane ride. I think it would be best for both of us," the young soldier said harshly as he got up and walked over to a seat on the right-hand side of the plane and looked out the window.

The two men didn't speak to each other for the duration of their five hour flight. Steve wanted to get up and apologize, but he was unsure of what to say. He knew things would go back to normal after a while; Jeremy bounced back from hurt feelings relatively quickly.

When the plane came to a stop, one of the pilots came out of the cockpit to talk to Steve and Jeremy. The pilot was a tall, chubby man with a large, red bristly mustache and dull green eyes. No smile appeared on his face, and he seemed bored and disinterested in his job.

"You won't want to be dressed like that where you're goin'. In the back, there is a pair of jeans and a dark green shirt for you, Captain Rogers. Your shirt's fine, private, but those military issued pants are going to raise some eyebrows. There's a pair of cargo pants for you next to Captain Rogers' clothes. After you get dressed, exit the plane, and there will be a white Geely CK waiting on the tarmac to take you to your destination. Don't' take too long," the pilot said blandly, as if it was scripted, and before Steve could ask any questions the pilot retreated to the safety of the cockpit.

"Hurry up and get back there, Steve! I want to get one last peek of that six-pack before we head out," Jeremy teased as he rushed down the aisle like a small child exploring a new environment.

"I wish I had as much energy as you do, J," the super-soldier said with a sigh as he swiftly removed his shirt in front of the young soldier.

As Steve and Jeremy exited the plane, they were immediately ambushed by two large, angry looking men, who pressed chloroform soaked towels to their mouths. The two soldiers passed out instantly, and while they were unconscious their wrists were handcuffed. After the cuffs were secured, they were thrown haphazardly into the backseat of the Geely CK. Without skipping a beat, the attackers hopped in the front seats and sped off, stirring up dust and debris as they roared away.

**Note: Lieutenant General Quincy Harkin is an OC.**


	44. Chapter 44

Steve's eyes slowly fluttered open as sunlight began to pour into the room. His head was pounding, and it felt as if someone had taken a hammer and smashed him repeatedly in the temples. He attempted to bring his hands to his face, but the super-soldier quickly realized that he was bound by his wrists and ankles to an unfamiliar bed. Steve wanted to scream, but he could not, as there was a rough cloth gag in his mouth. Instead of panicking, the super-soldier took a moment to observe his surroundings.

He could immediately tell that whoever had him bound and gagged to the bed lived a relatively modest lifestyle. The walls were a soft, delicate peach color with mahogany trim on the top and bottom, and the floor was covered with white carpet. On the wall in front of him were several black and white photographs of a city, though Steve was not sure which one in particular. On the wall to his left was a large picture window with white curtains adorned with little peach colored flowers. To the left of the bed was a small mahogany dresser with three drawers with a bouquet of white magnolias in a bright blue vase sitting on top.

Steve stared at the magnolias for a moment, and immediately realized who was responsible for his predicament. As the super-soldier stewed over his uncomfortable and somewhat embarrassing situation, he began to hear two muffled voices outside of the bedroom.

Tony was standing in the living room with an average sized man with dark brown hair parted on the right-hand side and small, beady black eyes. He had rosy red cheeks and a small, stubby nose that was disproportionate to the rest of his wide face. The man had on a green button up dress shirt and dark brown slacks, and he stood with a noticeable slouch to his shoulders.

"What in the fuck were you thinking, Matvi? God I asked you to do one thing for me, and this is what happens!" Tony huffed as he held Peter snugly to his chest, who was drooling all over the genius' black tank top.

"Look, Mister Stark, I am so sorry for what has happened! What you asked of me was simply a mistake in translation, I swear. I did not know that Yasha and Boris were going to tie Mister Rogers and that stranger up in your bedrooms!" Matvi pleaded, thankful that Tony's hands were preoccupied with a precious infant.

"I hired you to act as my translator! I can speak Russian pretty fluently, but you know I can't speak Ukrainian worth a shit. That was the one job you had. The people around here speak some slur of Russian and Ukrainian that confuses the fuck out of me, and you're supposed to understand it. I specifically told you to have your two drivers GREET Steve with open arms and bring him here, NOT knock him out with gas and tie him to the bed! That's my job for a later time… Aren't you from Kiev, Matvi? And who in the hell is that kid?" Tony questioned harshly as the anger inside him built to critical levels.

"Y-yes, I was born here Mister Stark, but I left for the Czech Republic when I was very young. I have only been back in Ukraine for three years. I learned English and Czech, and my parents spoke Russian. I have not mastered the Ukrainian language. People speak both languages in Kiev, and I took this job because I am in desperate need of money. I am not sure who the boy is or where he came from, I swear! I'm sorry, Mister Stark!" the translator whimpered as he saw the fire rage in the genius' eyes.

"You fucking piece of shit. I was told by the agency that you were a great translator that could be trusted… Did you just lie to the whole goddamn institution and say you could speak languages you can't? I'm going to have to do a lot of explaining now, and I wouldn't be surprised if Steve thinks I did this on purpose! God when he wakes up I'm fucked, and not in the good way. There is absolutely no way he's going to believe me! I'm going to make sure you never have work again, you son of a bitch!" the genius yelled in rage as his face turned a dark shade of red and the veins in his neck bulged out.

"Please, please don't hurt me! I'm sorry for everything that I have done! I do not know what I said to them that made them believe it was okay to do this to Mister Rogers and that young man, please believe me!" Matvi cried out as he got down on his knees and grabbed Tony by the legs.

"Get the fuck off of me, asshole!" Tony belted out as he attempted to squirm away from the pathetic man, but his grip was too tight.

Peter began to cry loudly and furiously as Tony tried to pull himself away from the bumbling translator, and the infant's screams permeated through the walls and into Steve's ears. Even though the super-soldier had yet to meet his two month old infant, his paternal instincts kicked in. He strained against the metal restraints until he was able to break free, warping the headboard of the bed in the process. The super-soldier cut his wrists on the restraints, and drops of blood dripped on his dark green shirt and blue jeans. Ignoring his injuries, Steve quickly removed his ankles from the shackles and ripped the gag from his mouth and slammed his body weight into the door, causing it to splinter into many large, sharp pieces.

"Jesus Christ St…" Tony began to say, but he was cut off by the super-soldier's loud, booming voice.

"Peter, father's here! You get the hell away from my family!" Steve cried out as he rushed to his fiancé's aid and picked up Matvi by the collar and slammed him against the wall.

"Please, I beg you, don't hurt me Mister Rogers! I have done nothing wro…" the dazed and confused Ukrainian pleaded before a powerful punch was delivered to his abdomen, causing all of the air in his lungs to rush out.

"Steve, stop! It's okay, he wasn't hurting us! He did do a bunch of shit wrong, but he doesn't need to die! Didn't you learn anything at your anger-management therapy sessions?!" the genius cried out as he held onto their screaming infant even tighter in an unconscious effort to protect the infant even more.

After Tony's low-blow penetrated the super-soldier's mind, he let go of Matvi, letting the translator fall to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Steve turned to look at his visibly terrified fiancé and miserable child, and the injured translator took the opportunity to escape the apartment. He scurried to the door, opened it and ran out, slamming it shut behind him.

"What did you just say to me, Tony?" the super-soldier questioned, anger and fear laced in his voice as his heart pounded fiercely in his chest.

"I said, didn't you learn anything at your anger-management therapy sessions…" Tony mumbled in response as he looked down at Peter, whose crying reduced into a mere whimper as Steve spoke.

"How do you think I should have reacted? What would you have done?" Steve asked as a cold, fear-inducing look appeared on his face.

"Don't look at me like that, Steve, please. It reminds me of the abusive you…" the genius replied in a barely audible whisper as he quickly glanced at his fiancé and promptly looked away again.

"Answer my question, Tony," Steve demanded in a forced calm voice as he reached the genius and gently pulled him into a loose embrace, taking care not to squish their now silent infant.

"I would have done the same thing…" Tony answered softly as he looked up into Steve's eyes and saw how desperately he was holding back his rage.

"Exactly. Now tell me, what's going on? The last thing I remember was two men approaching me after I got off a private jet, which I of course assume was your doing since you're here," the supers-soldier asked as his glare burned into the very core of Tony's being.

"We're in an apartment I rented for us in Kiev, Ukraine. I pulled a few strings, paid the general handsomely to get you a week-long break off base. I never want to set foot in the Middle East again, so I picked a place that wasn't too far away, and plus I think it's nice here. This place is great, it has three bedrooms and the living room's nice even though it's kind of small. Just look around you," the genius stated with a faint smile, hoping to steer the conversation away from the events that transpired after Steve got off the plane.

The living room appeared to be made to fit a family of four comfortably. The walls were lavender with white paneling going up half of the wall. The carpet was soft, plushy, and white, and it felt warm to the touch. In the middle of the room was a large, violet leather couch with a small, circular white coffee table in front of it. On the wall facing the couch was a thirty-two inch flat screen T.V., and below it was a small shelf with dozens of foreign films neatly stacked inside. To the right of the couch was a large, violet-painted door that led to the outside of the apartment complex. To the left of the couch was a hallway with four violet doors; one leading to the bathroom and the rest to bedrooms. The only painting was located on the wall next to the television, and it was a print of René Magritte's "The False Mirror."

"Yes, Tony, the apartment's nice. You chose a nice place for us to spend a week together, and I thank you for getting me away from that miserable place. Now stop stalling and tell me how I got here and why I was chained to a bed," the super-soldier demanded after taking a deep breath to prevent himself from lashing out again.

"Well, I hired a translator, that guy you just beat up, to help me out. I didn't want to go to the airport because this was supposed to be a surprise, so I had him hire two people to pick you up from the airport. Well, turns out that son of a bitch didn't know Ukrainian worth a shit… The organization he works for told me that he did, but that little asshole fucking lied. So apparently, he 'accidentally' told them to rough you up. They were terrified that you were going to wake up and kick their asses, so they gagged you and restrained you. I don't know how in the fuck they managed to get everything confused…" the genius responded with a sigh of shame that his pleasant surprise became a confusing, unsettling mess.

"I thought you knew Ukrainian, Tony, and honestly, this whole situation seems so farfetched that I don't even know if I can believe you…" Steve said with a groan as he carefully removed himself from the embrace and gently took Peter in his arms.

"First of all, I know Russian, NOT Ukrainian. Second, why in the fuck don't you believe me? I'd never lie to you about something like this, and you know it!" Tony replied harshly as he reached for their infant son.

"Well, you're a drama queen, Tony. I wouldn't be surprised if you set it up to go like this on purpose. You have the lieutenant general tell me I'm going on a secret mission but not explain where, Jeremy and I board a plane and end up being completely confused by the whole situation, and then you have someone gas me and tie me up so you can waltz in with a 'I've come to save you!' and do me on the spot. But, it didn't go like you wanted and you ended up getting in a fight with that weird man about payment or something along those lines," the super-soldier responded flatly as he walked away from Tony and opened one of the spare bedrooms.

"Wow, you're a fucking asshole, you know that? I may like a flashy entrance once in a while but God dammit I'd never do that to you. Never. And who the fuck is Jeremy?" the genius snapped as he stormed over to Steve and gripped him tightly by his broad shoulders.

"The kid that came with me here. I'm assuming they tied him up too in one of these rooms," Steve answered angrily, swiftly moving away from Tony's grasp before peeking into the bathroom, finding nothing but a toilet, sink, and combination shower/bathtub.

"So it's okay for you to be a condescending prick then just switch subjects to something totally unrelated. Whenever I change subjects you get pissy and act like I've committed a fucking felony! He's in the bedroom at the end of the hallway. And no, Steve, he's not tied up actually. He's just passed the fuck out because the translator's two goons weren't afraid of him. Now tell me how you've gotten it in your head that I'd string you along like this. I know you'd never have sex with me again if I had you tied up on purpose, so obviously it's the last thing I'd ever do. And give me back Peter; you don't deserve to hold him if you're going to be a cunt about everything!" Tony shouted as he grabbed Steve by the shoulder, turned him around and immediately snatched the baby out of his hands.

"Stop hogging him, Tony! You've gotten to see him for the past month he's been alive, and I haven't gotten any time with him. Here you are, the luckiest person in this whole room, and you won't let me hold him!" the super-soldier shouted as he raised his hands up in the air to emphasize how angry Tony made him.

"Woah, woah, woah, Cap. How in the fuck am I the luckiest person here? We're both miserable and fighting the way we did several months ago. I didn't want us to be like this again! All I wanted was for us to have a nice time together and be the happy family I thought we'd be! I did all of this so you'd get to see him, and me, and you're acting like I just wanted to pull a cruel, sick joke on you. Your concept of me has apparently been fucked up somehow… You know what? I'm putting the little guy away, he doesn't need to hear all of your bullshit…" the genius sassed in response as he walked into the first spare bedroom Steve looked into and carefully put Peter down in a small, light blue crib.

Tony tenderly kissed the infant on the forehead, whispered some sweet nothings into his little ear and walked back out of the room to face Steve again. His heart was racing and he felt as if he had a lump in his throat. He felt like pounding the super-soldier's face in and making it look like a smashed pumpkin after Halloween, but Tony knew there was no way he could overpower his fiancé, so he immediately dismissed the thought.

"Well, continue with your stupidity, Steve," Tony grumbled as he clenched his fists tightly by his sides to prevent himself from striking his fiancé.

"What I have to say is not stupid, Tony! If you think I'm such an idiot, why do you even bother with me? And fine, I overreacted a bit about your surprise to bring me here to see you. You would too if you woke up chained to an unfamiliar bed in a pink room!" the super-soldier yelled in frustration as his face turned a deep shade of red.

"The color's peach, actually… And I'm glad that you admit that you were wrong, because believe me I never wanted this to happen. You know what, Steve? I don't 'bother' with you. I fucking love you, and that was the whole point of all this. All of this was, and is, because I missed you so much I couldn't take it anymore. The tower's empty without you, Steve, and it took everything I had not to fall apart. So fuck you for saying I'm the lucky one in all this!" the genius retorted sharply, though his voice faltered in fear at the sight of Steve's visible fury.

"You know why you're lucky Tony? Because you've spent the past month taking care of our son, and I've missed out on everything. You get to enjoy every aspect of being a daddy; feeding him, changing his diapers, rocking him to sleep when he's cranky, and holding him in your arms whenever you want. Me, I've been stuck at a miserable camp in Afghanistan where everyone beats the hell out of gay people! I've seen nothing but people who only want to kill for fun and have carried their prejudices towards Arabs with them. The only thing that I've had there is…" Steve's voice trailed off as he thought of the young, vulnerable soldier passed out in the bedroom at the end of the hall.

"Nothing. You've had absolutely nothing," the genius finished Steve's sentence quietly to himself as a wave of guilt and shame from his previous statements washed over him.

The super-soldier, unsure of what to say, walked away from Tony. He stepped over the splintered pieces of the door he destroyed and sat on the bed he was previously bound to and looked outside the window mindlessly. Steve felt completely raw from the altercation with Tony, and he felt uncomfortable with the fact that the three people he loved were all in the same apartment together. He was terrified that once Jeremy woke up, he'd do something that would out their relationship, and the last thing he wanted was to lose Tony because of his weaknesses. Steve put his head in his hands and began to weep softly, fighting to prevent himself from becoming a blubbering mess.

"Steve?" Tony asked quietly as he slowly stepped into the room and saw his fiancé sitting hunched over on the bed crying into his large palms.

"Just go away, Tony. We've said enough terrible things to each other for one day," the super-soldier replied somberly as he wiped away his tears onto his green t-shirt.

"No, I'm not going to 'just go away' Steve. It took a lot to get you here, and I plan on enjoying every last minute with you from here on out," Tony said softly as he crawled on the bed, grabbed Steve by the shoulders and pushed him down onto the bed.

Tony wiped away the last of Steve's tears as sat cross-legged on the bed and looked down at his fiancé, whose head was resting in his lap. He lowered his head and brought his lips to Steve's, giving him a delicate, tender kiss filled with love.

"I'm sorry," the genius whispered after delivering the delicate kiss to his lover's dry, chapped lips.

"I'm sorry too, Tony. Will you go get Peter? I'd like him to cuddle on the bed with us," the super-soldier asked as a small, sincere smile developed on his face.

"Of course, nothing sounds better than that," Tony answered with a smile in return before he swiftly rolled off the bed and out of the bedroom to pick up their beautiful baby boy.

Steve got up from the bed, smoothed out the peach-colored bed sheets and fluffed up three bright white pillows before placing them against the headboard. After he prepared the bed, Steve sat down with his back against the pillows and spread his legs out in a "Y" position so Tony could sit comfortably in front of him.

"Look who's here, Pete! Your daddy wants to say hello," Tony babbled in a baby voice as he handed the small infant to Steve before crawling in-between the super-soldiers legs.

The genius leaned his back against Steve's chest before having their child handed back to him. After they settled in, the super-soldier put his arms around Tony's belly and gently rubbed it in large, clockwise circles the way he liked during his pregnancy.

"That still feels good, Steve… You always know how to make me happy. Want to watch Peter eat?" the genius asked excitedly as he lifted up his tank-top with his right hand.

"You already know the answer to that," Steve responded as he kissed Tony lovingly on his left cheek.

Tony brought the child to his left breast, and soon the small infant latched onto his nipple and began to suckle hungrily. Steve delicately ran his fingers through Peter's thick, brown hair and grinned with delight as he watched Tony give their child the nourishment he needed.

"Jarvis, can you play the videos of the first two months of Peter's life so Steve can watch?" Tony asked before turning his head to kiss Steve softly on the lips.

"Of course, Master Stark," the A.I. replied as a large monitor came down from the ceiling and the video of Tony breastfeeding Peter for the first time began to play.

"First two months?" Steve questioned as a puzzled look appeared on his face.

"He was born a month early. I was having complications, so Martin had to do an emergency C-section. Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with Peter and I'm completely fine now," the genius replied nonchalantly as he turned his attention to the film.

"You bring Jarvis everywhere… And is that you feeding him? Goodness he was so tiny! Our little guy's getting pretty big already!" Steve exclaimed in awe and excitement as he listened to Tony's ramblings on the video.

"Yep, that's him all right. Peter's such a good boy, and let me tell you he's got an appetite just like his father! Oh, you're going to love when we get to the first diaper change… Pepper had a lot of fun helping me with that one," Tony giggled at the memory of Peter peeing in his face.

"Thank you so much, Tony. I love you and Peter more than you'll ever know," Steve whispered affectionately into his fiancé's ear before kissing the smaller man's neck.

"I love you too. Let it be a dance we do," Tony began to sing softly as he thought back to the night Steve proposed to him almost a year ago.

"May I have this dance with you? Through the good times…" Steve sang beautifully in response, then waited for the genius to sing again.

"And the bad times too. Let it be a dance," the genius finished the lyric and kissed his partner passionately as soon as the words escaped his lips.

_Aww, they're so cute. I'm totally calling them "Superfamily." I guess I'd better leave them alone. Time to watch a little T.V! I wonder where the hell we are… Oh well, Steve can tell me later! _Jeremy thought to himself as he peeked into the bedroom and saw the Superfamily snuggling together on the bed, watching home videos filmed with pure, true love.


	45. Chapter 45

"So, who is that kid, Steve?" Tony questioned curiously as he was sitting on his fiancé's lap, grinding against his clothed crotch.

"Do we really need to talk about this now? We haven't had sex in four months and this is the time you want to bring it up?" Steve whined hesitantly as he grabbed Tony's waist and pulled his body flush against his.

"Just the thought of him being here makes me feel kind of… Well, I guess weird would be the best way to put it. There's just something about him that bothers me. I can't put my finger on it though… I'm trying to figure it out but something's just not right. Why is he here?" the genius responded curiously before wrapping his arms around Steve's neck affectionately.

"The lieutenant general told me to bring him with me for the so called 'mission'. And your actions and your words aren't exactly mixing here, Tony. Look, most of the blood has rushed to, uh, down there and all I can think about is you riding me... You look so incredibly sexy in that corset, you know that?" the super-soldier whispered into Tony's ear as he lowered his hands down to the smaller man's ass and squeezed it, trying desperately to change the direction of the conversation.

"We do need to talk about this at some point. I mean if I'm getting a weird feeling about him you have to be too… I do look fucking amazing in this corset, I don't need you to tell me that. After all, we need to take advantage of the fact that I have tits while I still have them. You know they're already down to an A cup? God, our little bastard feeds like a rabid animal, and let me tell you after the first few times I nursed him my nipples felt absolutely ruined," Tony joked as his began to bring his focus back onto their sexual activities, though he made his point clear that he wasn't going to leave the subject of Jeremy be.

"I'll admit, I do love the fact that you've got them, they make you look even sexier… And don't call Peter a bastard ever again. I know he is and I'll admit it really bothers me that we didn't get married before we had him. That's the standard way of doing things and we completely screwed it up. I can't imagine what people will think when they find out we had a son out of wedlock…" Steve's voiced trailed off, and the look on his faced changed from one of lust and desire to one of shame and embarrassment.

"I like the fact that he is one. We don't need to be married to be a family, people don't give a fuck about that anymore. Well, conservatives do but they can go fuck themselves. We're amazing together and Peter is essentially the perfect child since he's got our DNA. People have seen me with him anyway since I stroll him around town. It's all in the tabloids, and of course it's in your favorite, "The National Enquirer"… I brought the magazines so you'll have to see them at some point. People think I adopted him so I wouldn't feel alone since you 'left us' apparently. But anyway, you know I love you, you love me, we love Peter, and we're a happy family. With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you, blah, blah, blah and all that good stuff, so it really doesn't matter that we aren't married," the genius replied with a grin before kissing his lover tenderly on the lips.

"Well, I guess that's been entertaining for you. I really wish I would have been home for all this, but knowing you I'm sure you're enjoying the attention. As long as no one figures out that you actually gave birth to him everything should be alright… And is that 'I love you, you love me' from something?" Steve questioned as he narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. You'll have to figure that out for yourself. You know how to use the internet. Now, you paid for my services and I'm your whore for the night, Captain Rogers," Tony said with a grin as he pushed Steve down onto the bed and straddled him.

Tony was wearing a burgundy corset with gold in the center that pushed what little breasts he had left up, making them unusually perky. He wore matching gold booty shorts that exposed half of his ass cheeks, fishnet stockings and burgundy stripper heels.

Steve, on the other hand, was wearing the Captain America suit Tony designed for combat in Afghanistan. The smaller man had been wanting to role play as a prostitute for a while, and the idea of seducing a soldier on duty was arousing to him. Originally he imagined Steve as the whore, but he couldn't talk the super-soldier into acting like one, even though Steve had worn women's panties and a garter belt after one of their fights long ago.

"What am I allowed to do, darling?" the super-soldier asked politely before Tony leaned down and tenderly kissed his lover on the lips.

"You're such a cutie, you know that? Such a respectful and innocent soldier… I'm going to have to break you of that consideration and respect tonight. You can fuck me as hard or as gentle as you'd like," Tony responded in a seductive tone of voice as he moved his hips in a circular motion, eliciting a small moan from Steve.

"Well, I like to treat prostitutes right, since I'm sure you don't get that a lot. I want you to enjoy this as much as I will. Do you have a condom, sweetheart?" Steve asked sweetly as he brought his hands to Tony's breasts and squeezed them eagerly, acting like he'd never groped a pair in his life.

"Shit… I completely forgot about that. We definitely can't fuck until we have one, we don't need another kid for a long time. At least I'm not ready for another one. Maybe one day we could have another little guy, or possibly a girl. You never know, and that would be pretty nice. Our family is essentially just a major sausage fest right now and it would be great to have raise a girl…" the genius rambled as he sat up and stroked his goatee with his left thumb and index finger.

"We are definitely not ready for another one, I agree. I want to be married before we try again, and who knows when that will be? With all the stuff that seems to come up in our lives it's definitely taken a spot on the backburner. I really wanted to make love to you, Tony, I've been looking forward to this for a long time," Steve said disappointedly as he felt a fear deep down inside of him that Tony would continue questioning him about Jeremy again.

"I'm horny as fuck, Steve, and I want it too. Well, I'm always horny, but that's beside the point. I hired a driver for us, and I could call him up and have him drive you to get some," Tony suggested as he slowly got up from Steve's lap and grabbed his cellphone off the nightstand and dialed a number.

"Me? Why do I have to go?" the super-soldier questioned as an image of Tony grilling Jeremy with personal questions until he found out the truth about their affair ran through his mind.

"I've got to feed Peter…. Sacha?" the genius asked as his call went through and his driver answered.

Tony talked to the driver in fluent Russian, and he responded by saying that he'd be at their apartment in less than ten minutes. The genius told Sacha that a tall, muscular blonde with blue eyes would be the one who he'd be driving around before ending the call.

"He'll be here in ten minutes, so get changed out of your gear and get ready. Chop chop soldier!" Tony commanded with a grin as he quickly unhooked his corset, revealing his little, pouting belly and small breasts.

"Fine, fine! When I get back you better be prepared for me," Steve replied with a toothy grin as he got up from the bed and removed his belt.

Five minutes later, Steve was dressed in a pale blue v-neck shirt and a pair of greyish-blue jeans and a pair of plain white tennis shoes. Tony put on a white Rolling Stones band tee and dark gray sweatpants that hugged his ass perfectly.

"Sacha is going to give you a little tour of Kiev as well, Steve. I want you to see the whole city before we venture out on the town tomorrow. I've got a great day planned for us, and I want you to be as excited as I am," the genius explained to his fiancé with a big grin before giving him a passionate kiss on the lips.

"Alright, Tony. I hate to see you here all by yourself, don't you need help with Peter?" Steve questioned worriedly as he wrapped his arms around Tony's waist.

"Pete and I are going to be fine, Steve… Or do I have to worry about that kid, because you still haven't told me a damn thing about him," the genius whispered into his lover's ear, taking care to keep Jeremy, who was sitting on the couch, from hearing their conversation.

"Tony, I can assure you Jeremy is a good guy. There's no reason why you should feel weird about him, he's a good friend of mine and if you take some time to get to know him you'll like him too. Just don't mention anything about siblings, his twin sister died not all that long ago, and it's really painful for him to talk about. I love you Tony, play nice," the super-soldier whispered before giving Tony one last kiss before heading out the door.

"I'll try, Steve. I'm not making any promises though. Have fun on your quest for the golden Trojans!" Tony joked with a grin as he waved by to Steve and blew him a kiss flirtatiously.

When the super-soldier was out of sight, Tony closed the door and stared at Jeremy for a few seconds. The boy was sprawled out on the violet couch with his hands behind his head. He was wearing a pair of blue pajama pants and a grey tank top that showed off his muscular, barrel chested upper body. His chest hair was peeking out of the top of the tank top, and Tony noted that the young man had more armpit hair than he and Steve combined.

Tony fiddled with Steve's old dog tags as he watched Jeremy stretch out on the couch. As he stretched, his shirt rose up past his belly button, revealing small hickeys on his hips and lower belly. As the genius attempted to examine the love bites from a distance, the young man finished stretching, turned his head and smiled.

"Hey, Mister Stark, when's Steve going to be back? And are those dog tags? I didn't know you served in the military!" Jeremy exclaimed with a grin as he flipped over on stomach to give his full attention to Tony.

"I'm not sure when he's coming back… Did you just call him Steve? And no, I was never in the military, kid. These are his old dog tags from World War II," Tony replied coldly as he looked down at the smooth, metal tags around his neck.

"Sorry, I meant Captain Rogers… And that's really nice of him to give you those! Can I see them?" the young man asked politely as he held out his hands out over the couch armrest.

"Sure... It's Jeremy, right?" the genius questioned as he slowly took the tags off of his neck and put them in the young man's rough palms.

"Yes sir, but you can call me J for short. Captain Rogers came up with that one," Jeremy answered with a small grin as he ran his fingers delicately across the smooth metal.

Tony nodded his head in acknowledgment before walking away to Peter's bedroom. He felt somewhat unsettled by Jeremy's use of Steve's first name and the fact that his fiancé gave the young man a nickname, and Tony wondered how close the two men really were.

As he walked into Peter's bedroom, Tony stepped on a small, folded up piece of stationary. The genius picked it up and noticed a heart with Steve's initials inside of it. He glanced back at Jeremy, who was still occupied with the dog tags, and swiftly went into the baby's room and closed the door. He sat down on a white rocking chair in the white walled, dark blue carpeted room and slowly opened the note.

"Baby, I love you. You've done so much for me and I have no idea how I can ever make it up to you. That day you saved me from those assholes was one of the best of my life. I never expected anyone to do anything like that for me, and honestly I don't think I'll ever understand why you bothered to help me. You're the only person I've ever loved beside Tamara, and I'm glad that you helped heal my scarred and tattered heart that was left after she passed on. When our service is done and you and I go back to our old lives, I just want you to know that I'm going to love you for the rest of my life. You're my baby, forever and always. –J" Tony mumbled the words of the letter quietly to himself, imagining Jeremy saying the words as he read aloud.

_What the fuck did I just read? Does Jeremy just have a weird crush on Steve, or is there more to this? He's calling him baby… Who in the fuck calls someone who's just a friend "baby"? And who's Tamara? That must be the sister Steve told me not to mention…And Steve saved his life at some point? Steve's his baby forever and always? Every time I bring up Jeremy, Steve's dismisses it like he's not important... Jesus Christ what if Steve's been cheating? What am I going to do? I need to get as much information out of Jeremy as possible and make sure that it's just a one-sided thing on Jeremy's part, because Steve would never do this to me… Would he? _Tony thought to himself as he stuffed the note in his sweatpants pocket, picked up Peter from the crib and lifted his shirt so the infant could nurse.

Tony absentmindedly brought the feeding infant out of the baby room and proceeded to sit down on the couch next to Jeremy. After a few seconds of looking down at Peter, he looked over and noticed the young man was staring intently at the suckling child as if he was a science experiment. The genius immediately realized that he was nursing in front of Jeremy, and before he could open his mouth to explain the phenomenon, the young soldier began to speak.

"That's really cool that you can feed him like that, Mister Stark. You and Ste- Captain Rogers sure have quite the medical marvel on your hands! I can't believe the super-serum they gave him back in the day gave him the ability to knock you up. What did giving birth feel like? I mean how does it work, because uh, yeah… I don't know how a baby could come out of your jock. That sounds painful, anyway. Is that what happens?" Jeremy questioned curiously as he scooted closer to Tony and carefully put the dog tags back around the genius' neck.

"You knew?" Tony questioned, taken aback by the young man's knowledge about his pregnancy.

"Yeah, Captain Rogers explained the whole process to me except for the whole birth part of it. He looked ridiculously sad one day, and I made him tell me what was up. After a little bit the guy just broke down and told me that this little bundle of poop and pee was being born without him… Damn near broke my heart when I saw him whimpering like that. But I'm digressing here, how did you get Peter out? I've been wanting to ask you for over a month now!" the young soldier answered with a friendly smile as he delicately patted the baby on his back.

"I had a C-Section. How in the fuck else would I have had Peter? I didn't shit him out or anything like that if that's what you were thinking… " Tony sighed as he fought back the urge to push Jeremy away from the infant.

"Sorry, Mister Stark, I just thought you would have invented a tractor beam of some sort to get your baby out since you invent a lot of cool stuff. But I guess why invent something knew when there's already a tried and true way," Jeremy stated with a shrug as he took his hand away from the baby's back and sank down further into the couch cushion.

"I could have that invented in a few hours, but when you're pregnant you're not supposed to be doing any heavy lifting. Seeing as I was all by myself while Steve was enjoying the 'spoils' of war I just sat in my bed until Peter was born," Tony stated sharply as he carefully observed the expression on Jeremy's face change.

Tony's suspicions about Steve and the young man's relationship were confirmed as he watched Jeremy. The boy's eyes widened in shock, his jaw slacked, and it seemed as if all of the color drained from his face. He looked up at the ceiling for a brief moment then quickly shot a glance back at the genius, who was staring daggers into his bright violet eyes. Before Jeremy could open his mouth, Tony gave him a twisted smile, stood up from the couch and took Peter back to his crib. After he kissed the infant on the cheek and told him how much he loved him, Tony sauntered back into the living room, making sure not to take his eyes off the young man.

"Shh, shh. No need to talk, Jer-Bear. I'm going to make something for us to eat, and you can help. You're a strapping young lad, right?" Tony asked with a wry smile as he came back into the living room and ran his left index finger along an oddly placed handle meant for a sliding door on the wall to the left of the Magritte painting.

"I guess so, why? There isn't even a kitchen in here though; how are you going to make anything?" J asked as the genius put his left hand in the handle and pushed to the right, causing the section of the wall to slide over, revealing a small kitchen behind it.

"Well, as you can see there is indeed a kitchen. The people who made this apartment couldn't stand looking at kitchens and they assumed no one else could either. I personally think it's pretty neat, what about you? Well I'm sure you like it, you're a kid and kids love anything that's exciting and new, and I'm sure you've had your fair share of excitement these past few months. Now come on, you can help me cook some lunch for your Captain," the genius stated harshly as a grimace developed on his face.

Jeremy nodded his head and slowly rose up from the couch. He slowly stepped past Tony and observed the kitchen. The walls were a sterile white, the floor was made of pale tan linoleum, and to the left was a light brown round table with four chairs made from pine. Directly in front of him was a white stove, refrigerator, and four pine counters with tan countertops to the right of the fridge. The countertop farthest to the right had a white sink installed into it and there was a cutting board and a bin with a large variety of knives on the middle two counters. On the right side of the kitchen was a plain black trash can and a grey bin for recyclables.

"This is a really nice kitchen, it reminds me a lot of back home," Jeremy stated quietly as he leaned his back against the countertop closest to the fridge.

Tony, not bothering to acknowledge the young man's statement, went into the fridge and took out some carrots and celery. He tossed them on the cutting board and opened up the counter drawer and took out a large pot.

"Here put some water in this, Jeremy. Then start boiling it," Tony directed as he carelessly shoved the pot towards the young man's chest.

Jeremy nodded with a weak smile before putting the water under the sink and filling it with cool water. When the pot was almost completely full, Jeremy took turned off the water and put the cookware on the front left hand burner. He turned the heat on low and looked at Tony, who was now washing the vegetables under the sink.

"So, do you have a boyfriend, Jeremy? Or should I say, are you seeing someone who's definitely not available?" Tony questioned, not taking his eyes away from the bright orange and green vegetables.

"No, I'm not seeing anyone. I've never been in a relationship before…" J answered softly as he resumed leaning against the countertop and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"You should really cut the shit, Jeremy. I know you and Steve are fucking. You gave it away on the couch, not to mention this note that I found…" the genius hissed as he took the note out of his pocket.

"No we're not, Mister Stark! I wrote that for him because I…" the young soldier began to protest, but Tony quickly cut him off.

"I just want you to know that I'm going to love you for the rest of my life. You're my baby, forever and always," the genius read aloud from the crinkled piece of stationary as he stared at the young, vulnerable soldier, who started to tear up.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I was lonely, and he was lonely! Do you know what it's like to be alone in a place where people beat the shit out of you because you're gay? It's terrible, Mister Stark! And when my hero, Captain America, saved my life and was just as lonely as I was, it just happened. I swear this isn't what I wanted," Jeremy apologized pleadingly as he wrapped his arms around Tony in an attempt to calm him down.

Jeremy's skin felt cold and clammy to the touch, and the feeling sent Tony back in time. In his mind, he was no longer in a cozy kitchen in an apartment in Kiev; he was in Taskmaster's underground bunker. He could feel his face being smashed into the rotting corpse in the corner, the tender flesh on his face being carved into, and the painful, unwelcome burn of unwanted penetration overtake his entire being. When he pulled away and looked into Jeremy's eyes, it wasn't the young soldier that he saw; he saw Taskmaster's skull mask looking at him ominously and threateningly.

Before Jeremy was able to realize the change that Tony underwent, he felt a powerful punch make contact with his jaw, sending him down to the floor. He tried to scamper away, but Tony was too fast; the genius grabbed the pot of boiling water from the stove and dumped it on the young man's chest, causing him to cry out in pain.

"You're not going take advantage of me again, you motherfucker! I swore that I was going to kill you Taskmaster, and I meant it!" Tony shouted as he grabbed a large steak knife from the bin on the counter.

"Mister Stark, please, it's Jeremy, not Taskmaster! Oh God, call an ambulance, my shirt is glued to my chest! Help, someone please!" Jeremy screamed as he tried to scoot back against the wall, though it caused too much pain as his shirt ripped from his bubbling skin in the process.

Before Jeremy was able to get away, Tony straddled the young man and plunged the knife deep into his abdomen, causing the young soldier to cry out in agony. As the genius removed the knife, dark blood gushed from the wound, covering the two men in copious amounts of blood.

"Mister Stark, good God! God, I'm sorry for everything that I've ever done! Someone, please!" Jeremy screamed again as he desperately tried to push his childhood hero off of his mortally wounded body, but to no avail.

"You're never going to hurt someone again, you son of a bitch!" Tony yelled out as he plunged the knife into Jeremy's chest, silencing the young soldier forever as the brushed metal punctured his heart .

After a few minutes, Tony snapped out of his post-traumatic stress disorder episode and looked down at the body below him. He opened his mouth, but no sound would come out. He was in complete and utter shock at his actions, and was not entirely sure how he came to be seated on Jeremy's thighs with a knife in his hand.

"Holy shit, what have I done?" Tony muttered to himself repeatedly as the sound of his crying son slowly began to permeate his eardrums.

He silently got up, dropped the knife and walked to the baby's crib. Tony removed the crying, miserable infant from his crib and gripped him tightly to his chest. It only served to exacerbate Peter's screams, and as he looked down at his son he saw that Jeremy's blood was now smeared over both of them. The genius' head was spinning at the sight, and he felt dizzy and sick to his stomach as he desperately tried to replay the incident in his mind. He soon found that he didn't have the strength to walk, and he sat down in the corner of the living room, next to the television, whispering words of false security into Peter's ear in an attempt to soothe him.

"Tony, Peter, Jeremy, I'm back! Hey Tony, why are you... Good lord what did you do?!" Steve yelled out in shock as he saw his fiancé and son covered in drying, crusty blood.

Tony didn't answer him; instead he turned his head in the direction of the kitchen, indicating to the super-soldier that he needed to look inside. Steve rushed to the kitchen and saw the burned, bloody corpse of his lover lying face-up on the kitchen floor next to the stove. Without saying anything, Steve got down on the floor and took Jeremy in his arms and put his head on his chest, praying that there would still be a heartbeat.


	46. Chapter 46

**Note: this chapter contains non-con. And sorry I haven't written in a while, the college life has swept me away and I didn't have time to think about what I wanted to do for this chapter! Anyway, enjoy followers :3 ! **

"Did you love him, Steve?" Tony asked in a barely audible whisper as he held his bawling, bloody infant tightly to his chest.

Steve didn't answer; he simply looked at Jeremy's body in complete in utter shock. He had absolutely no idea what happened, but the sheer amount of blood on his body was almost too much for him. He noticed that the young man had been stabbed in the gut and chest, and when he squeezed him in feeble hope that he was still alive, Jeremy's intestines began to push out of the nasty gash. The super-soldier, unable to contain his disgust and shock at the sight, vomited next to the corpse he cradled lovingly in his arms. Sure, he'd seen plenty of people die horrific, painful deaths in World War II, but this was different. Not only was it someone he loved, but the person who he planned to marry was the one who committed the heinous act.

"Answer me, Steve. Did you love him?" the genius questioned again and he rubbed Peter's back in small, delicate circles, hoping that he'd quit screaming and settle down.

"No; he was just a good friend of mine is all," the super-soldier lied, completely unable to avert his gaze from Jeremy's cold corpse to look at Tony, who was fighting back tears.

"You don't have to lie to me, Cap. I know; I read one of his notes to you, and there's no denying it. It's funny that you can lie to me like this; you're supposed to be the George Washington in our relationship! It's one thing for me to fuck up and screw someone else, but you? Unbe-fucking-lievable! You make me sick, you piece of shit!" Tony cried out as he stood up and took baby Peter back to his crib and slowly lowered him inside of it; he knew a fight was about to break out and the last thing he wanted was for his precious baby boy to get hurt.

"Fine, you know what? I did have sex with him! I made love to him plenty of times… I did love him, Tony. You have no idea how lonely I got when I was in Afghanistan! You got to spend time with Pete, and I'm sure you got plenty of company from Pepper and the others. Me? I had to deal with a bunch of vile, pathetic little grunts who beat up homosexuals. Jeremy was one of those people…" Steve spat out as he pressed a kiss to the dead soldier's lips just to rile Tony up further.

"Did you seriously just fucking do that, Steve? There is no goddamn excuse for what you did! Just look at you; you think you're so high and mighty and noble for fucking this kid! You probably only loved him for his asshole, and apparently that's the only reason you love me if this is what you're going to do. I've never done anything this appalling in my whole goddamn life! I expected this from everyone else I was with, but not you," Tony hissed as he stood in the kitchen doorway and pounded his right fist on the wall, causing Steve to jump a little in surprise.

"I didn't love him for the sex, Tony. And I sure as heck don't love you for just sexual intercourse! So many people can't stand to be around you, let alone look at you. You barely have any friends because you think you're better than everyone else, and I'm the only one who accepts you no matter how dramatic you can be! I mean look at this, Tony; you killed a soldier today!" the super-soldier exclaimed as he raised his left hand in the air in anger and frustration.

"I am not a drama queen, you son of a bitch! I have plenty of friends… Rhodey, Pepper, Bruce, you name someone and you know they like me. If anything, you're the one no one wants to be around! You're a pretentious, pompous boyfriend beater with no sense of humor and you let your cock do all the thinking for you! And people think I'm the slut!" Tony taunted angrily as he pointed his right finger at himself for emphasis.

"I am not a slut, Tony… You better take that back, NOW," Steve growled as he carefully lowered his dead lover's body and stood up.

"No, I'm not backing down to a pathetic, cheating son of a bitch any more. We have a little bastard together, Steve! You're supposed to love me and your child, and you chose Jeremy. You chose a barely legal teen with a stupid, ugly face with no future over your family. The least you could have done was fuck something with a pretty face! Maybe then I would have understood, but no. You hook up with a piece of shit; how much you want to bet he's just a dirty piece of trailer trash? I bet you couldn't get enough of him sucking you off and riding your cock… Hell I probably just did you a huge fucking favor, because I wouldn't doubt you got his ass pregnant too! Then you would have had to be a father of two, and I doubt you could handle that. You don't even love your own son, or your fiancé for that matter, enough to keep your dick in your pants. This, my friends, is the noble, honest, loyal Captain America who fucks pathetic pieces of shit behind his man's back!" the genius got up in Steve's face and spit right in his left eye, causing the blonde to stumble back a little in surprise.

The small campfire raging through the Captain's veins finally turned into a full blown forest fire, and before Tony even realized what was happening he was being flung across the room. The genius hit the wall with such force that he left a large crack in the plaster. He landed hard on his left shoulder, but quickly crawled to their bedroom despite the pain. Right before Tony made it to the splintered wood that was once a door, Steve grabbed him by the throat and pulled him off the ground until they were eye to eye.

"Tony, I love you, for God's sake why won't you just listen to me for once! I didn't mean for any of this to happen, and this is the last thing I wanted! Why can't you get that through your head! I never went back on my promise to you that I'd never have anyone else inside of me, and I used protection with him. Every. Single. Time. Now please, just hear me out!" the super-soldier pleaded loudly and sincerely as he unconsciously gripped his fiancé's throat tighter, preventing any air from entering Tony's lungs.

In sheer panic, Tony kicked his large, abusive boyfriend in the testicles, and scurried away the moment Steve let him go. The blonde was lying on the ground in the fetal position with his hands pressed against his crotch. He vomited from the pain, and before he was able to gain his composure he noticed Tony standing on top of him, huge plasma screen in hand.

"You're never going to hurt me again, you son of a bitch!" Tony cried out as he slammed the television over Steve's head, knocking him out cold.

_I know he's not dead… Thank God he can take a fucking blow to the head like that. What am I going to do? There's a fucking corpse in the kitchen and Steve's an abusive, cheating scumbag. Peter's stopped crying, at least. Why can't he stop crying when he hears my voice? Oh yeah, because EVERYONE loves Steve. He's such a perfect, exemplary human being with the most courage and dignity out of us all… Fuck that. If only everyone knew what a lying sack of shit Steve really is. You know what, I'm going to give him a little lesson in what it means to feel used and cast aside… _Tony thought to himself as he dragged Steve into the bedroom, not bothering to move the splintered pieces of wood out of the way; the super-soldier could deal with a few splinters, it wasn't like Tony cared much anymore.

He hoisted Steve up on the bed, set him down on his stomach, ripped off his pants and spread his legs as far apart as they could go. After the blonde was positioned exactly how he wanted him to be, Tony walked to the dresser drawer and pulled out three pairs of handcuffs. The genius made them as a gift for Steve to try out some new kinks with. It would be almost impossible for the super-soldier to break free from them, no matter how hard he tried. Tony smiled devilishly to himself as he handcuffed Steve's hands behind his back and cuffed Steve's legs to the bed posts at the end of the bed.

_Perfect. Now I'll just wait until he wakes up… Time to feed Peter! _Tony thought happily to himself as he walked to Peter's room; he always loved feeding his precious little one.

"Tony? Tony! What is going on, where are you? How did I get like this, why am I handcuffed? Let me out of these things!" Steve yelled out three hours later, and Tony sauntered into the room, completely naked and with a grin on his face.

"You ever been fucked dry, Steve?" Tony asked as he got on top of the super-soldier and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"W-what? Look, I'm really not in the mood for you to…" Steve began to say before he felt Tony promptly shove a dry, rough finger into his tight asshole.

"Well, Steve. I'm glad you're not in the mood, because let me tell you I wasn't in the mood for your shit! You know there's only so much abuse that I'll take. Your mind games, your lies, the beatings… I let you walk all over me, didn't I Steve? I've never hurt you once… Sure, maybe emotionally from time to time, but I never laid a goddamn hand on you. Not once. I've been a good boy, played by the rules, done everything I could to make you happy. I didn't get an abortion even though I wanted one, I've taken care of Peter by myself, and I let my guard down and let you into my life. I quit drinking for you, for fuck's sake! You know how awful that was for me? You couldn't even imagine, Mr. Perfect… Well I thought you were perfect, anyway. I had myself fooled for almost a year that you loved me as much as I love you… I guess a man can dream. But my father never loved me, my friends never loved me, so why should I have expected you to be any different. Oh, that's right, I shouldn't have. The only person who will love me no matter what is Peter, and I'd say that's a stretch. You were the one person who was supposed to turn my life around, make me feel like it was worth living, and you failed. And you know what? I'm going to return the favor for all of your broken promises and the beatings I let you give me. I'm going to make you bleed," Tony hissed as he removed his finger and promptly shoved his cock in Steve's ass, causing the larger man to cry out in pain.

"Tony, please stop! I'm so sorry for everything I've ever done… Just please, stop! It hurts so bad!" Steve cried out as he squirmed underneath Tony, who was moving in and out of him so fast that the friction burned his insides.

"Ooh… I see blood! You feel me ripping you apart, Steve? This is how you've made me feel for the past few months! Look at you, begging for forgiveness when it's too late!" the genius laughed maniacally as he pounded into Steve; Tony had truly lost his mind.

"Please, please! This isn't what I wanted for us and you know it… I'm sorry!" the super-soldier burst into tears as Tony continued to laugh in his sick, twisted way until he convulsed, his orgasm ripping through him like a bat out of Hell.

The genius slowly pulled out of Steve and saw the damage he'd done; there was blood leaking down his leg, his ass was crimson red from Tony's constant slaps, and Steve was reduced to nothing more than a sobbing wreck. After a few minutes of staring at his lover's ruined, miserable body, the genius realized what he had done.

He crawled off the bed and crept over to the corner without looking at Steve any further, making sure to face the wall instead of the bed. Tony sat there, wide eyed and horrified by what he'd just done. Nothing had ever made him snap that way before, and now he knew there was no way the two men could patch things up. He didn't know how he could fix this, and he didn't even know if he wanted to. Steve's actions pushed him to a dark, filthy place in his mind he never knew existed, and the fact that he stooped down to the blonde's violent, abusive level caused him considerable grief. With all of the terrible things Steve had done, he'd never raped anyone or killed a person that didn't deserve it, but Tony had. He allowed all of the stress and shock of these unsettling realizations to let him slide back into the post-traumatic stress disorder episodes he thought were long gone.

"Steve, I'm going to end this… There's nothing left for us after what I just did. I can't live with myself anymore," Tony whimpered as he stood up, walked over to the dresser and pulled out a Colt revolver.

The super-soldier watched in horror as Tony checked the cylinder to see if it contained any bullets; there was only one left. As the genius pulled the hammer back and brought the gun up to his left temple, Steve strained against the metal handcuffs shackling him to the bed. He pulled the cuffs as far and as hard as he could, cutting the tender flesh of his wrists and ankles in the process. Right before the genius was about to end his life, Steve broke free and grabbed the gun from Tony's hand.

"You really think this is going to solve any of this, Tony? Look what we've done to each other… I did all of this to you, Tony. I don't know what came over me, made me sleep with Jeremy. There isn't any way to justify my actions, and there's no way to justify you killing him. And you raped me… You raped me Tony. All because of a damn affair! If you would have done this I never would have laid a hand on you like this!" Steve shouted as he threw the gun to the floor and pushed the genius against the dresser.

"Steve, I don't deserve to live after what I've done. Just let me die and you can take care of Pet…" Tony muttered, but was cut off when the super-soldier's large, calloused hands covered his mouth.

"No, Tony. You need to be here for our son, our family, and me. Look, I don't know how I'm going to get over what you did to me… I probably never will… Why did you have to do this?" Steve started to tear up again, and he quickly took his hand away from his fiancé's mouth and slowly sat down on the bed, wincing as he did so.

"I'm so fucking sorry, Steve! I can't think straight… Something's wrong with my head and I don't even know what to do anymore! I ruined our family, and there's no way we can ever be happy again with all of this looming over our heads. There's no way you can forgive me, and I sure as hell don't know how in the fuck I can forgive you for cheating on me with that little boy toy… And I killed him. Jesus Christ, I fucking killed him, Steve!" Tony cried as he got on his knees, crawled over to Steve, wrapped his arms around the blonde's waist and put his head in his lap.

The super-soldier looked down at the shell of a man looking up at him. He loved Tony so much, but he was disgusted by the sight. Now that he knew the brunette was capable of murder and rape, he didn't know if he could trust him anymore. He wondered if he'd raped Jeremy's corpse while he was at it, but he quickly threw away the thought for the sake of his sanity. It broke his heart that he'd reduced Tony to a filthy, dirty, murdering rapist. He forced himself to look at the damage he'd done; it wouldn't be fair to Tony if he'd turned his back on him now. Not knowing what else to do, Steve ran his fingers gently through the genius' mussed up hair in an attempt to soothe him.

"Please don't cry, Tony. We're going to be okay. I don't know how we're going to get through this, but I'm not giving up… Now please don't try to kill yourself ever again, I can't stand the thought of losing you," Steve murmured softly as he bent down, brought Tony's chin up with his right hand and kissed him tenderly on the mouth.

Tony kissed him back, hesitantly at first. He wasn't sure if Steve was pulling a trick on him or wanted to do further damage, but after a few seconds he lost himself in the kiss. The blonde was all he had left, along with Peter. He didn't want to be alone, not after all that had taken place between them. Steve carefully picked Tony up and placed him down gently on the bed, and then got on top of him. He wrapped his arms around the genius' waist and kissed him deeply, as if this would be the last time they'd ever touch each other again.

"I'm sorry…" Tony mumbled in between kisses as the tears rolled down his cheeks, making him appear to Steve as a beautiful disaster.

"Don't apologize. We need to call Fury… Have him take care of the body. I'm so sorry about your neck, Tony…" Steve answered somberly, moving away from Tony's lips to his sensitive, bruised neck.

"It's just a little bruising, I'll be alright…" the genius moaned as Steve licked the tender, aching skin, making the pain feel a little less substantial.

Tony unconsciously spread his legs and wrapped them around his super-soldier, bringing Steve's half-hard cock near his entrance.

"Punish me…" Tony begged as he wrapped his arms around Steve's neck and pulled him flush against him.

Steve, unable to say no, simply nodded his head and pushed himself inside of Tony with absolutely no preparation, drawing a long, strained groan from the genius. He slowly moved back in forth inside of Tony, taking care not to hurt him the way he'd been injured, though luckily his ass was starting to heal already. Steve understood that Tony didn't have the luxury of fast healing, so he wanted to make sure that he didn't tear anything inside of his loved one.

"I love you so much, Steve. Please don't go," Tony whispered into Steve's ear as he came all over his stomach, causing the muscles in his hole to tighten around the super-soldier's cock.

"I won't, Tony...I love you too much. No matter how bad things get, I'll stay," Steve responded with a grunt as he came inside of his fiancé, filling him to the brim with his salty, cloudy fluid.

When they finished, Steve rolled off of Tony and pulled the genius on top of him. They stared at each other for a long time, saying absolutely nothing. Tony, feeling the need to break the silence, called out to Jarvis for a request.

"Jarvis? Call Fury," Tony said somberly, not taking his eyes away from Steve's beautiful baby blues.

"Right away, sir," the A.I. responded quietly, as if he realized the severity of the situation at hand.


	47. End

Dear Readers,

Sorry to disappoint those who follow/like this story, but I'm finishing it here. I'm no longer interested in this story with all of the others I'm doing, and I will just let you all imagine what happens next. Thank you all for following this, this was my first fic and you are all the reason why I've continued to write and take prompts. I love you all, and thank you for your support. It really means a lot to me and I love you all. If you ever want to talk/be friends, my Tumblr url is "sex-pickle22". I love talking to people so never hesitate! Thank you for everything, you all are wonderful. I can't thank you enough 3 .

Love, Tony


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